Last update: May 02, 2023, 2:30 p.m. IST
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova speaks during an event titled ‘Russia’s War in Ukraine’ in New Delhi, India, April 11, 2023. (Credits: Reuters)
The image posted by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry sparked outrage on social media as users pointed out the image’s resemblance to the depiction of the goddess Kali.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova on Tuesday expressed her “regrets” after a metamorphosed image of a female figure above the smoke from the explosion sparked massive outrage among residents of the city. India for imitating the Hindu deity Kali.
Emine Dzhaparova said Kyiv “regrets” the Defense Ministry’s depiction of the goddess Kali in a “distorted manner” and that the country “respects India’s unique culture and highly appreciates India’s support”.
“We regret that @DefenceU portrays the #Hindu Goddess #Kali in a distorted manner. #Ukraine and its people respect the unique #Indian culture and greatly appreciate the support. The depiction has already been removed. is committed to further increase cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and friendship,” Dzhaparova said in a tweet.
We regret @DefenceU representing #Hindu goddess #Kali in a distorted way. #Ukraine &its people respect unique #Indian culture and greatly appreciate the support🇮🇳. The representation has already been deleted. May 1, 2023
Controversy erupted after the official Ukrainian Defense Ministry Twitter account on April 30 posted a photo of a woman in an upskirt pose similar to that of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe with the caption “Artwork of art”.
The image sparked outrage on social media when users pointed out the image’s resemblance to the depiction of Goddess Kali.
Emine Dzhaparova added that the performance was removed.
Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, called the image an assault on Hindu sentiments around the world.
Following the tweet, many Indian Twitter users sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
“Please take note of this defamatory post which shows Maa Kali in a bad light, @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar,” one user tweeted.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova visited India and said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Eastern European country. East and New Delhi to become more involved in its conflict with Russia.
She said earlier that India is a global leader and can help tackle major global challenges and promote peace. She invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year that “the era of today is not one of war”.
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