On Tuesday, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova regretted a tweet by the Defence Ministry, which depicted Hindu goddess Kali over a blast of smoke, which Indian citizens criticised as insensitive.
Dzhaparova stated that the Tweet had been taken down, and emphasised the importance of cooperation between Ukraine and India.
Defence Ministry’s Tweet
We regret @DefenceU depicting #Hindu goddess #Kali in distorted manner. #Ukraine &its people respect unique #Indian culture&highly appreciate🇮🇳support.The depiction has already been removed.🇺🇦is determined to further increase cooperation in spirit of mutual respect&💪friendship.
— Emine Dzheppar (@EmineDzheppar) May 1, 2023
On 30 April, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry shared an improvised picture by Ukrainian artist Maksym Palenko, captioned “Work of art.” The image showed the Hindu Goddess Kali in a “flying skirt” position over smoke rising above a city under attack.
Several Twitter users spoke out against the Ministry’s tweet and demanded an apology. Others criticised Palenko’s work for being Hinduphobic and insensitive. Users also demanded that the Ukrainian government extend its respect to all religions and beliefs.
A Twitter user also said that such actions explain why Ukraine is “not getting any support from India.” Another Indian user said that the post has hurt the sentiments of 1.4 billion Indians.
Dzhaparova’s India Visit
Recently #Ukraine Dy Foreign Minister was in Delhi soliciting support from #India
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) April 30, 2023
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
The controversy comes just weeks after Dzhaporava concluded her India visit, the first since the onset of Russia’s war against Ukraine. She urged India to support Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion, claiming that this was the only choice for a real “Vishwaguru” (World Leader/Teacher) like India.
In an apparent allusion to New Delhi’s energy relations with Moscow, she added that Ukraine could not tell India what economic policies it should have with respect to other nations. However, she urged India to diversify its military and energy supply sources to reduce reliance.
Since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, India has maintained a neutral stand and refused to condemn Moscow’s actions. However, it has reiterated its support for peace and diplomacy.