Ramgopal Varma’s tweets on Lord Ganesh invites the ire of social activists and celebrities.
Politicians, social activists, bollywood filmmakers and actors are unhappy with the controversial tweets posted by director Ramgopal Varma about Lord Ganesh. Varma who is known for making popular commercial films in Bollywood had posted objectionable comments against Lord Ganesh on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The remarks made by Varma have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Social activists said that Ramgopal Varma is posting unwarranted comments to garner cheap publicity. A complaint has been filed against Varma for his series of objectionable tweets on Lord Ganesh. Nowadays Ramgopal Varma is active on social networking sites but his films have been bombing at the box-office.
Sumit Khambekar, chief of the Mumbai unit of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and social activist Shahzaad Poonawala filed separate complaints against Varma in police stations in the city.
Khambekar said that Varma’s tweets “hurt the sentiments of a large number of Hindus, especially devotees of Lord Ganesh”.
Poonawala said Varma’s tweets have “angered” not only Maharashtrians but also Muslims of the state.
Ramgopal Varma later offered apologies on the microblogging site.
The tweets drew strong reactions from leaders across the political divide. While Shaina NC of the BJP called it “blasphemous and insensitive”, Congress’s former MP from Mumbai Sanjay Nirupam demanded police action against Varma for violating the law of the land.
“This is blasphemous and insensitive. He should not resort to such cheap sensationalism,” Shaina said, calling the tweets “incredible absurdity” and seeking an apology from Varma.
Did Lord Ganesha have a paunch in his childhood too or did it develop in the recovery time of the elephant head operation?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin)
I have an innocent question…can someone please tell me how a Lord who couldn’t save his own head will save others heads?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin)
The 11-day Ganeshotsav is being celebrated across Maharashtra with glittering decorations on roads and bylanes, rows of fairy lights, and Social activists and organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have condemned Varma’s comments and demanded an apology from him as well as police action. Police said they will investigate the case before taking further steps.
Varma later offered his apologies on the microblogging site.
“All tweets I put on Ganesha were in my usual manner but unintended by me to hurt anyone’s sentiments … but if they did I sincerely apologize,” Varma posted.
Prem Shukla of the Shiv Sena described Varma’s twitter comments as an “insult” to the “cultural and religious ethos” of Maharashtrians at a time when they were celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.
BJP MP from Mathura, Hema Malini said, “What rubbish is this. I think he is just saying all this to garner publicity. We must not give him undue attention.”
