Leena Manimekalai’s ‘Kaali’ Poster Tweet Withheld in ‘Response to Legal Demand'

'Will Twitter India withhold the tweets of the 200000 hate mongers?" Leena Manimekalai tweeted in response.

Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Twitter has taken down filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's tweet wherein she had shared a poster for her performance documentary Kaali. The poster, which showed a woman dressed as goddess Kaali smoking, led to outrage on social media with many accusing Leena of hurting religious sentiments.

In place of the original tweet, is a Twitter notification that reads, “This Tweet from @LeenaManimekali has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.” According to Twitter’s platform use guidelines, the message means that “Twitter was compelled to withhold the original Tweet in response to a valid legal demand, such as a court order”.

It’s unclear when the tweet was removed. In response to Twitter taking her tweet (and poster) down, Leena tweeted, “This is hilarous. Will @TwitterIndia withhold the tweets of the 200000 hate mongers?! These lowlife trolls tweeted and spread the very same poster that they find objectionable.”

(Trigger warning: mention of violence, sexual assault)

“Kaali cannot be lynched. Kaali cannot be raped. Kaali cannot be destroyed. She is the goddess of death,” Leena added.

The police in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have filed separate FIRs against the filmmaker over the Kaali poster. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada had earlier also urged Canadian authorities and event organisers to ‘withdraw all provocative material’.

“We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action,” the Commission’s press release read.

Talking about the reaction to the poster, Leena told The Quint, “It really shows the deteriorating socio-political condition in India. The country is sinking into a dark hole of hate and bigotry. These trolls are not only after my artistic freedom but also academic freedom.”