Amid Kaali row, Babul Supriyo says BJP is only 'blackening' its face

Trinamool national spokesperson Babul Supriyo said the BJP is only blackening its face over the Kaali row after Goddess Kaali featured in several of BJP's programmes in West Bengal on Tuesday. BJP leaders met presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and gifted her a deity of the goddess. Union minister Smriti Irani offered prayers at a Kaali temple on Tuesday and then BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari met the governor with a photo frame of Goddess Kaali in his hand. Also Read: Offerings to Kaali vary from place to place, say priests after Moitra’s remarks

"BJP never understood Bengal. Considering Bengalis foolish, the BJP is indulging in this childishness which, in turn, is only blackening their face. It is shameful that Raj Bhavan has become a stage of this political act," Babul Supriyo, the former BJP leader and ex-Union minister tweeted after Siuvendu Adhikari led the delegation of Bengali priests to the governor's house to submit a memorandum against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra for her comment on Goddess Kaali. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said he will go through the memorandum and will take steps as per law.

The controversy over Leena Manimekalai's film poster of a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali smoking led to a BJPand TMC tussle after Mahua Moitra, not in support of the poster, said she has the right of envisioning Kaali as a goddess who loves meat and accepts liquor, according to how the goddess is worshipped in many places (Shaktipeeth). Comparing Mahua Moitra's comment with former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remark on the Prophet, the BJP demanded action against Mahua. The Trinamool condemned Mahua Moitra's comment and distanced from it by issuing a statement that whatever Mahua Moitra said was her personal opinion and not the stand of the party.

On the ongoing Twitter barbs of BJP's Amit Malviya, Trinamool leader Sougata Roy said the party already condemned Mahua Moitra's statement but it does not need lessons from the BJP.

"The party doesn't endorse the comments made by Mahua Moitra. We also don't support the portrayal of Goddess Kali in bad taste in pictures or posters. At the same time, however, it is the matter of individual choice how they would pray to their god or goddess," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.