A journalist with India’s leading daily Shrishti Jaswal has invited legal trouble for her views on the Hindu god Lord Krishna after her tweet with inflammatory comments went viral on social media.
Gautam Aggarwal, formerly affiliated with the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has filed a complaint against Jaswal for her “derogatory and defamatory” tweet against Lord Krishna. He stated in his complaint that she is associated with one of the country’s leading media houses, Hindustan Times, therefore, her social media posts can influence Indians and an international audience.
Jaswal was addressing the film "Krishna and His Leela" when she said in her tweet: “Because this is what Krishna did. He was a womanizer, a f***boi, and commitment-phobic maniac. And I am a Hindu and I’ve read mythology”.
The tweet led to an instant backlash on social media, with many people condemning the media house for hiring her.
Following the barrage of criticism, Hindustan Times announced that it has suspended the reporter, and a code of conduct committee has been set up to look into the matter. The media house also disassociated from the reporter’s views.
An avalanche of reactions hit Twitter following the controversy. While several users blasted the journalist, calling her “Hinduphobic” for insulting the god, others demanded strict action against her.
Others targeted Netflix India for the film "Krishna and His Leela" as the hashtag #BoycottNetflix gained momentum for releasing the film that showed the Hindu religion in a bad light.
The Hindu god Krishna is revered across the world with over 850 temples in numerous countries, established under the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known as the Hare Krishna movement.