AMRITSAR, July 20, 2013: Hindus are upset at Goddess Kali's caricature in New Zealand's leading metropolitan daily newspaper - The New Zealand Herald. President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed toldTOI on Friday that the Society had demanded from Herald editor-in-chief and board chairman of its parent APN News & Media PeterCosgrove to immediately apologize and publish the apology on the front page of the paper.

The newspaper had published a photograph of Goddess Kali holding a pack of cigarettes besides other objects in the article titled "Guardians at the Superette" by Dita De Boni in Herald's June 28 edition. "Goddess Kali, who personifies Sakti or divine energy, is widely worshipped in Hinduism. She is considered the goddess of time and change. Some Bengali poets described her as supreme deity," said Zed.

"It is quite inappropriate and hurtful to the devotees. Goddess Kali is highly revered in Hinduism and she is meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not to be trivialized for commercial or other agenda" he said. The Hindu Council of New Zealand has already brought the issue to the notice of the race relations commissioner. Meanwhile, the illustration had been reportedly removed from the newspaper's website. Rajan said that the illustration was offensive, disrespectful and irresponsible. Herald should set up an internal structure so that unnecessary mistakes like this should not happen in the future.

He said the Society had also urged New Zealand race relations commissioner and New Zealand press council chairman to look into the issue and discipline Herald for the insensitivity shown to the Hindu community.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 20, 2013.