Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's act of accepting a painting from renowned artist MF Husain has met with criticism from a Hindu organisation, which has demanded an apology from the cricketer.
"We condemn Sachin's visit to `anti-Hindu' painter MF Husain in the UK during his present cricket tour of England," Manoj Solanki, spokesman of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Goa, said in a press release held in Panaji on Sunday.
Tendulkar had accepted a special autographed painting from Husain, who had been under fire for his controversial paintings of Hindu deities.
"It appears that Sachin was not fully conversant about the nature of `obscene' paintings of Hindu deities and Bharat Mata by Husain," Solanki said.
He said Tendulkar has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and also the national sentiments.
"Husain is facing 1,250 police complaints for hurting the Hindu religious sentiments, but he has fled the country to avoid action," he noted.