BJP leader slams filmmaker Manimekalai, says 'Kaali'poster row preplanned to grab attention

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Amid the row over the poster of the documentary 'Kaali', Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Anupam Hazra on Thursday slammed filmmaker Leena Manimekalai and said the controversy was a preplanned strategy by the filmmaker to come into the limelight while suggesting her to go to Pakistan or Sri Lanka if she feels unsafe in India.
Speaking to ANI, Hazra said, "I think this kind of distorted mindset should never be encouraged. Being a Hindu I believe, it severely hurt the Hindu sentiments and she should be arrested and banned from the industry."
"We have noticed that this has been a common strategy by the Bollywood producer-director that they willingly wish to create controversy just before the release of their film. It maybe her strategy to come into the limelight. Since nobody knows her, she may have thought it with her distorted mindset. It is a shameful representation of Hindu god and goddess. She is trying her best to come into the limelight," said the BJP leader.
Hazra alleged that the controversy is preplanned by Manimekalai.
"I do not know who is the director. I have never heard of this director earlier. Maybe it is a pre-planned thing," he said.
On the filmmaker's tweet, Hazra said, "Obviously she has created an ambience intentionally. She is responsible for creating such kind of ambience where people are protesting and filing FIR against her. If she is not feeling safe as she tweeted, she should go to Pakistan or Sri Lanka."
Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai, whose controversial July 2 tweet was taken down by Twitter on Thursday said she does not feel safe "anywhere at this moment".
The filmmaker has been accused of hurting religious sentiments after she shared a poster of her documentary 'Kaali' which portrays Goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag.
Leena took to Twitter today to post: "It feels like the whole nation - that has now deteriorated from the largest democracy to the largest hate machine - wants to censor me. I do not feel safe anywhere at this moment."
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have registered a case against documentary film 'Kaali' and its director Manimekalai for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with its poster. The Cyber Crime Unit of the Delhi Police registered an FIR under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) and 295 A (outraging religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).(ANI)