Indians call out Ukraine for 'assault on Hindu sentiments' with goddess Kali 'work of art'

The 'work of art' shared by Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Twitter. The post has since been deleted. (Image credit: @ItsShubhangi/twitter)

A "work of art" meme shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has created an uproar among Indians across the world because of its resemblance to the goddess Kali. The now-deleted tweet showed a massive cloud from possibly a bomb explosion morphed into a figure with blue skin, with her tongue hanging out and a garland of severed heads around her neck -- all features characteristic of the Hindu goddess -- in a signature Marilyn Monroe pose.

Reacting to the post, Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor to the Ministry of Broadcast and Information 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."

Recently #Ukraine Dy Foreign Minister was in Delhi soliciting support from #India
Behind that fakery lurks the real face of Ukraine Govt. Indian goddess Ma Kali has been caricatured on a propaganda poster.
This is an assault on Hindu sentiments around the world.@UkrembInd https://t.co/r84YlsUtZc pic.twitter.com/q7jSG0vGXH

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— Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) April 30, 2023

"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," journalist Shubhangi Sharma tweeted. "This centuries-old obsession with disparaging Goddess Kali Ma continues to run deep in the West. It’s replete with ignorance and bigotry and no matter how woke the new generations get, some malicious fixations will remain deeply entrenched forever."

This incident comes days after a German magazine faced severe criticism for its racist portrayal of India in a cartoon after its population surpassed China's.