'You would support Sharma and Moitra, IF...', Taslima 'STEPS OUT' amid Prophet and Kaali Row

New Delhi: After Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra stirred a controversy over her comments on Goddess Kaali, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Wednesday (July 6, 2022) said if one believes in freedom of expression, then they would support both Nupur Sharma and Mahua Moitra's right to express their views. "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 said in a Twitter post. 

Bangladeshi author also said that freedom of expression is not violence, adding that putting a price on someone's head and asking people to go and kill someone is not freedom of expression. 

If you believe in freedom of expression, you would support both Sharma's and Moitra's right to express their views. 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.

— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) July 6, 2022

Mahua Moitra caused a controversy with her remarks that she has every right as "an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess", as every person has the right to worship god and goddess in his or her own way.

FIR against Mahua Moitra

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered a case against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for her controversial remarks on Goddess Kali.

In the FIR registered by the Crime Branch in Bhopal, Moitra has been booked under Section 295A (outraging religious sentiments) of the India Penal Code.

Tharoor supports Mahua Moitra

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor came out in support of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over her comments on Goddess Kali stating "our forms of worship vary widely across the country. " He also urged people to "lighten up and leave religion to individuals to practice privately."

"I am no stranger to malicious manufactured controversy, but am still taken aback by the attack on @MahuaMoitra for saying what every Hindu knows, that our forms of worship vary widely across the country. What devotees offer as bhog says more about them than about the goddess," tweeted Tharoor.

"We have reached a stage where no one can say anything publicly about any aspect of religion without someone claiming to be offended. It`s obvious that @MahuaMoitra wasn`t trying to offend anyone. I urge every1 to lighten up and leave religion to individuals to practice privately," added Tharoor in another tweet.

(With agency inputs)