A meme shared by Ukraine's Defence Ministry on Sunday, 30 April, angered Indians because of its resemblance to Goddess Kali.
The tweet, which has now been deleted, shows a huge cloud formed due to an explosion morphed into a woman with blue skin, with her tongue hanging out and a garland of skulls around her neck – all of which resemble the Goddess.
The woman in the photo is seen standing in an awkward pose, which was referred to as a "work of art" by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry.
Senior advisor to the Union Ministry of Broadcast and Information Kanchan Gupta slammed the photo, saying that it was an "assault" on Hindu sentiments worldwide.
"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," he said on Twitter.
Several other Twitter users also hit out at the picture, calling it "Hinduphobic" and "outrageous".
"I am absolutely appalled to see the Ukrainian defence handle mocking Maa Kali, a revered Hindu goddess. This is a gross display of insensitivity and ignorance. I urge them to take down the offensive content and issue an apology. Respect for all religions and beliefs is paramount," one such user said.
Users also urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the matter with his Ukrainian counterpart.
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