Netizens slam Ukraine defence ministry’s tweet depicting Hindu goddess Kali in awkward pose

An alleged post shared by the official Twitter handle of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has triggered a controversy as it depicted Hindu goddess Kali in an awkward pose that resembled Hollywood's Marilyn Monroe's upskirt pose.

In the now-deleted tweet, there were two photos with a caption - 'work of art'. While one photo had a massive cloud, the other showed the Hindu Goddess Kali in a plume of smoke with Marilyn Monroe's signature pose. The tweet was posted on Sunday and netizens slammed Ukraine for its 'insensitive' post.

Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor to the Ministry of Broadcast and Information wrote, slammed the post and wrote, "Recently Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister was in Delhi soliciting support from India. Behind that fakery lurks the real face of the Ukraine government. Indian goddess Ma Kali has been caricatured on a propaganda poster. This is an assault on Hindu sentiments around the world."

"This is what I had tweeted on 25 Feb 2022. Ukraine's anti-#India stance at UN remains unchanged. Ukraine continues with military deals with Pakistan. #Ukraine has now mocked Goddess Kali in a manner no foreign Govt/country has ever done. This is brazen hate speech. @UkrembInd," he added.

"I am absolutely appalled to see the Ukrainian defence handle mocking Maa Kali, a revered Hindu goddess. This is a gross display of insensitivity and ignorance. I urge them to take down the offensive content and issue an apology. Respect for all religions and beliefs is paramount," another user vented out his anguish.

Photo Credit: Screenshot of the pictures doing rounds on social media

"This is why you guys are not getting any support from India. And getting your ass kicked," a third netizen said. A user commented, "Shocking! Official handle of Ukraine Defense Ministry is portraying Maa Kali in a demeaning pose. This is not a work of art. Our faith is not a matter of joke. Take it down and apologise @DefenceU."

Expressing anguish against Ukraine, one more netizen stated, "Sad to see the government of Ukraine harbour such hate and mock more than a billion Hindus worldwide. It's unbecoming of a country that claims to be a victim of war. Instead of deriding Kali Ma, try seeking her blessing to fight off evil of all kinds. Ukraine could really use it right now."

This incident comes days after a racist cartoon published by German magazine Der Spiegel, depicting India's population overtaking China met with a similar response from netizens.