Rihanna accused of cultural appropriation for posing topless in Hindu pendant

Watch: Rihanna sparks row wearing Hindu pendant

Rihanna has been accused of cultural appropriation yet again after posing topless while wearing a pendant that apparently depicts the Hindu God Ganesha.

The Umbrella singer – who last year was forced to apologise after a fashion show for her lingerie brand Savage x Fenty featured a song that included a recording of sacred Islamic text – shared an image on social media of her in purple underpants and covering her bare chest with her arm.

Rihanna, 32, captioned the image: "When @popcaanmusic said me nuh wan ya wear no lingerie tonight fa me girl' @savagexfenty."

But members of the Hindu community were quick to point out that her jewellery represented the elephant god Ganesha and took offence.

Read more: Rihanna: I have forgiven Chris Brown, I truly love him

One tweeted: "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."

Another commented: "Rihanna! Stop Using my religion as aesthetic!"

And another user replied: "How dare you use my religion for your circus."

The upset comes just two weeks after Rihanna sparked controversy by expressing her support for Indian farmers protesting new agriculture laws in the country.

The singer's picture was burned during protests after she tweeted a link to a news report about internet access around New Delhi being cut off following violent clashes between police and farmers.

Rihanna wrote: "Why aren't we talking about this?!"

India's government issued a statement condemning "sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others".

Last year Rihanna issued an apology after her lingerie brand used a recording that included a narration from the Hadith, a sacred Islamic text, during a fashion show.

Song Doom by producer Coucou Chloe included a remix of a Hadith narration that was played during a segment of the show. In the Islamic faith the Hadith is a sacred written record representing the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, used as guidance by Muslims.

Read more: Rihanna responds to Snapchat's 'dumb' domestic violence game

And in 2019, the Rude Boy singer faced online backlash after posing in Chinese clothing and ornaments for the cover of Harper's Bazaar China. The images had been intended to show what happens "when western style icon meets eastern aesthetic", the publication said at the time.

Watch: Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall get couples counselling in their new six part podcast, Before We Say I Do...