Some miscreants barged into the venue of the ongoing Jaipur Art Summit on December 8, vandalised paintings and thrashed one of the painters. They also took away with them a painting displayed at the high-profile art fair. This act was to protest against the display of a semi-nude painting at the summit.

The culprits have been identified. A police investigation is on.

Someone by the name Hemlata Sharma, president of an outfit called Lal Sena, can be seen in a video gesturing, shouting and trying to justify her vandalism with the chant does freedom of expression allow you to call this art???

Also read | Semi-nude paintings vandalised at Jaipur art summit, painter thrashed

The other group responsible for vandalism at this art festival was Rashtriya Hindu Ekta Manch, a Hindu right-wing outfit, that had earlier taken offence to Raju Hiranis movie PK.

LIST OF PREVIOUS INSTANCES

Many such incidents have been reported in the past. Various paintings and art galleries have been attacked by right-wing groups and related fringe elements.

On May 1, 1998, Bajrang Dal activists forced their way into acclaimed artist MF Husains south Mumbai home and created mayhem. They were apparently provoked by one of his works exhibited in New Delhi. They interpreted that the painting depicted Sita perched on the tail of a flying Hanuman, both in the nude. Husain had never given a caption to this painting, and the Hindutvavadis gave a free rein to their imagination.

On October 11, 1996, a group of Bajrang Dal activists forced their way into the Herwitz Gallery in Ahmedabad's Husain-Doshi gufa, a well-known art complex. Armed with tridents and wearing saffron scarves, they intimidated the only guard on duty there and destroyed about 23 tapestry items and 28 paintings, which were on display there. The work destroyed included Husain's series on Hanuman, a depiction of the Last Supper and the famous Madhuri Dixit series.

Also read | Jaitley to Shiv Sena: Won't tolerate vandalism as a method of protest

It was on January 30, 2004 that the activists of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) ransacked the Garden Gallery of Arts and Textiles inside the premises of the Garden Silk Mills (GSM) in Gujarat's Surat.

M F HUSAIN AT THE RECEIVING END

In 2006, Husain was accused of painting a 'Naked Bharat Mata' (nude Mother India). The painting was put up for auction by Apparao Galleries of Chennai. The title Bharat Mata was given by the auctioneer without referring to Husain. Husain again apologised and withdrew the painting from the charity auction.

On December 27, 2007, Shiv Sena activists attacked an exhibition of paintings by M F Husain in New Delhi, damaging two of his works on display. The activists managed to enter the art gallery at the famous India International Centre, despite a heavy police presence at the venue and prior information of Shiv Sainiks planning to attack the exhibition. The pamphlet released by Mangat Ram Munde, Delhi unit president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Sena, Shiv Sena's students wing, alleged that Husain had made many obscene paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. So we would not allow him to exhibit his paintings anywhere in the country", the pamphlet said.

Also read | VHP activists vandalise art gallery displaying paintings of Pakistani artists in Ahmedabad

In Delhi on August 24, 2008, Sri Ram Sene members barged into an art exhibition organised by NGO SAHMAT and destroyed several MF Husain paintings, leaving behind some pamphlets denouncing Husains attempts to hurt Hindu pride.

On August 16, 2013, an art gallery exhibiting works by Pakistani artists at Amdavad-ni-Gufa in Ahmedabad was vandalised by alleged VHP activists, who tore all the paintings and ransacked furniture. Amdavad-ni-Gufa is an art gallery established jointly by the late MF Husain and noted architect BV Doshi.