Mahua Moitra mocks PM Modi’s Maa Kali invocation, revives ‘dhokla’ jibe
The firebrand TMC MP criticised PM Modi’s use of ‘Jai Maa Kali’ at a rally, stating ‘She doesn't eat dhoklas and never will,’ referencing his Gujarati origin
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday (July 19) took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking Goddess Kali during his rally in Bengal, remarking that the bid to woo Bengali voters with such tactics was “a bit late.”
Addressing a rally in Durgapur, the prime minister on Friday began his speech by greeting the crowd in Bengali and invoking the goddesses Kali and Durga. “Jai Maa Kali, Jai Maa Durga,” PM Modi said, in a departure from his usual “Jai Shri Ram” chant.
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In a pointed dig at Modi, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, a vocal critic of the prime minister, tweeted, “Bit late in the day to start invoking Maa Kali for Bengali votes, PM Modi. She doesn’t eat dhoklas and never will.”
Dhokla is a popular snack in Gujarat, the home state of the prime minister.
Dictating food choices
The ‘dhokla’ remark aligns with Mahua Moitra’s earlier criticisms of the BJP for “dictating” people’s food choices. In many Kali temples across Bengal, non-vegetarian food is traditionally offered to the goddess as bhog.
In 2022, Moitra had sparked a row by calling Kali a “meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess”, which led to the registration of an FIR against her.
The outspoken Krishnanagar MP had used the ‘dhokla’ jibe earlier this year after a video went viral showing men threatening shop owners in a Delhi fish market near Chittaranjan Park due to its proximity to a temple.
Not the first face-off
Sharing the video, Moitra claimed that the men were associated with the BJP. “Everybody has seen the horrifying visuals of the lumpen BJP goons threatening the Bengalis in Chittaranjan Park. Chittaranjan Park is a Bengali colony. Bengalis are proud fish-eating people,” she tweeted.
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“Is the BJP going to tell us what we are going to eat and where we should have our shops? Is the BJP going to tell us how we should eat dhoklas and chant Jai Shri Ram thrice a day?” Moitra further said.
The BJP had dismissed the video as “fabricated and politically motivated”.