'Both Nupur Sharma and Mahua Moitra's right...': Taslima Nasreen amid Kaali row
As Shashi Tharoor supported Mahua Moitra amid the row, BJP's Amit Malviya said Sonia Gandhi should clarify the Congress' stand on this issue. “The problem with secularists, champions of free speech and those who advocate religion as a private matter, is their selectivity. Their views apply only to Hindus and their deities,” Malviya wrote.
Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said if one believes in freedom of expression, then they would support both Nupur Sharma and Mahua Moitra's right to express their views amid the massive controversy over Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra's comment that Goddess Kaali loves meat and accepts alcohol. "If you do not believe in freedom of expression, you would support neither's right or either Sharma's or Moitra's right to express their views," the author wrote. Also Read: Mahua Moitra's 'Satyamev Jayate' amid Kaali row; 'What about lookout notice,' BJP asks Mamata govt
Freedom of expression is not violence, the author wrote adding that putting a price on someone's head and asking people to go and kill someone is not freedom of expression. "Supporting someone's views and supporting someone's right to express views are totally different things. I may not agree with people's views, but I will always defend the right to express their views, including my enemy's views," Taslima wrote.
Several complaints have been lodged against Mahua Moitra for her comments on Goddess Kaali while the BJP demanded action against her. A parallel between her comments on Kaali and former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks on the Prophet was drawn by West Bengal BJP leaders. What started as a controversy over the poster of the documentary that depicted a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali and smoking turned into a full-fledged political battle with the Trinamool Congress distancing the party from Mahua Moitra's comment. On Wednesday, Moitra unfollowed the party on Twitter and threw an open challenge to the BJP. "The goddess Bengalis worship is fearless and non-appeasing," she wrote.
In an interview, Mahua Moitra on Wednesday said no matter how many FIRs are filed against her for the comment, she will fight for her comment in every court. "I do not want to live in an India where BJP's monolithic patriarchal brahminical view of Hinduism will prevail and the rest of us will tiptoe around religion," Mahua Moitra said.
While TMC dissociated itself from Mahua's comment, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor supported her comment and said Mahua Moitra is being attacked for saying what every Hindu knows. Tharoor's comments pulled Congress too into the debate. BJP's Amit Malviya said Sonia Gandhi must clarify Congress's stand on this.
"After TMC MP insults Maa Kaali, Congress, as expected, jumps in to defend her obnoxious comment. The problem with secularists, champions of free speech and those who advocate religion as a private matter, is their selectivity. Their views apply only to Hindus and their deities…," Malviya tweeted.
"Mamata Banerjee’s politics, steeped in brazen minority appeasement, is the reason why her MP made that outright insulting comment on Maa Kaali. TMC must suspend her, ask WB police to file FIR. Sonia Gandhi must also clarify Congress’s stand on it after Shashi Tharoor’s support…," Malviya added.
