Rihanna has captured Indian headlines after her tweet on the farmer’s protest enraged several people online. However, the artist-cum-entrepreneur has sparked fresh controversy with her latest picture on social media.
Rihanna posted a topless picture of herself recently and many Indians pointed out how she was wearing a necklace with a lavender Lord Ganesha pendant. The picture was posted with the intention to promote her new SavageXFenty (her lingerie brand) spring collection.
This has left several Indians online fuming with rage. Many tried to school her for using a Hindu God to enhance her own aesthetic while others downright bashed her for being disrespectful to not just the Hindu religion but to uncountable Indians across the globe. Here’s what some of them said:
i read appreciate and love you, but the necklace you wearing is totally not okay, stop using our religion and culture for your aesthetics, its very sad and disappointing.
— ru⁷ ☀️ | exhausted (@azuremyg) February 15, 2021
We are so tired & if we raise voice against this cultural appropriation so we are labelled as hindu extremist. For you all hinduphobics it is just necklace but for us he’s god. Please stop telling us wht is offensive & whts not. Audacity of these ppl “hinduphobia doesn’t exist”🤡
— vedu💙👀 (@IndicRant) February 16, 2021
Who the hell do u think u r???
U can’t insult our religion like this. Lord Ganesha is Not A Piece Of Jewelry, he’s beyond your imagination.
Seems like your doing this for purpose ….U have to pay it off some day…. Karma does exist.
— Pranjal Pachori (@_p_r_a_n_j_) February 16, 2021
rihanna !! stop using my religion as an aesthetic !! that ganesh figurine at the end of the chain 🙁 is a holy and sacred figure for us hindus
— ً kani | HOBI BIRTH IN FEW HOURS!! (@09S00B) February 15, 2021
Super offensive wearing Ganesha like that. My first god, a holy sentiment to millions of people celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi every year. Sorry RiRi, you disappointed me and others.
— daakkuuu (@Presenjeet26) February 15, 2021
This is categorical targeting of the Indian culture & India itself. Rihanna is a shameless person with no respect for different cultures. All she cares abt money. Celebrity of her popularity should have some sense of responsibility.
— Ashish Pareek (@AshishP39158213) February 16, 2021
What the fuck why can’t u wear your cross instead of hindu god😡😡😡😡 this woman’ had stooped so low
— 😎bserver (@BotwidAadhar) February 16, 2021
This is so disrespectful Riri.
My Religion ain’t your aesthetic!— 🅱️humi jas (@aigirinand1) February 15, 2021
Politician Vinod Bansal went as far as to file a complaint to Twitter and Facebook for the immediate removal of the post and Rihanna’s social media accounts.
“Ms Rihanna has posted images of Hindu God Lord Ganesha in an unacceptable manner which did hurt Hindus across the globe. The images/clips which Rihanna has posted on Twitter and Facebook/Instagram are extremely disturbing, and hence the concerned officer(s) of Twitter and Facebook are to be punished with rigorous Indian laws as there is also a clear breach of constitutional freedom,” the complaint read.
Bansal also wrote, “We will not tolerate such insult to our Hindu gods. In a normal scenario, such handles would have been suspended, but nothing has happened so far.”
Have a look at the complaint here:
We complained @DelhiPolice & @MumbaiPolice against CEO @Twitter @Facebook under CC to the ministry of Home & IT GoI for suitable legal action and delete the anti-India and anti Hindu SM accounts of @rihanna pic.twitter.com/xjf3vOuJoA
— विनोद बंसल (@vinod_bansal) February 16, 2021
Was Rihanna right to use a Lord Ganesha pendant as an accessory for her topless picture? Tell us.