MF Husain's paintings vandalised

A group of activists destroyed frames of some paintings of MF Husain displayed at a 'symbolic protest exhibition' of the painter's work in New Delhi.

Over a dozen armed miscreants barged inside the lawns of Constitution Club at Rafi Marg on Sunday afternoon where an exhibition of noted artist MF Husain's paintings were on display and vandalised and damaged seven of the artist’s work. Nobody was injured in the incident.

HT Image

The three-day ‘Husain Art Summit’, which was to conclude on Sunday evening, was organised by SAHMAT, a social activist group, to protest the exclusion of Husain’s work from the ongoing India Art Summit at Pragati Maidan.

SAHMAT activists said it was meant to be a symbolic protest exhibition.

“Around 3.30 p.m. over 12 men with placards barged in and damaged the paintings. They broke the glass frames and tore off some of the pictures. The men left before the police could be called,” said M.K. Raina, noted theatre personality and a SAHMAT member.

The organisers have now decided to extend the art exhibition by another day.

“This is sheer cowardice. The fact that it happened in the Capital and that too in broad daylight is equally shameful. We had informed the local police on August 21 itself that we are organising this exhibition and security should be provided but not even a single constable was posted here. It seems fundamentalists are having a field day in the city,” said Rajan, another member.

Visitors to the exhibition said the miscreants were carrying placards which had slogans like Jai Shri Ram inscribed on them. “They were shouting slogans and before anybody could say or do anything, they started damaging the art work,” said painter Arpana Caur.

The police, however, claimed that the organisers did not take any permission. “We didn’t get any intimation from the organisers regarding such an event. But we have started an investigation,” said a senior police officer.