Indian court orders seizure of ‘objectionable’ MF Hussain paintings

A court in the Indian capital Delhi has ordered the confiscation of two “objectionable” paintings by MF Hussain, one of India’s most famous artists.

The court on Monday allowed police to seize the artefacts after a complaint was filed that the paintings displayed in an art gallery and featuring two Hindu deities “hurt religious sentiments”.

Husain, who died in 2011 at the age of 95, often faced criticism for his depiction of nude Hindu deities in his paintings.

Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), which organized the exhibition, said in a statement that it was “not a party to the legal proceedings and is taking legal advice”.

The paintings were part of an exhibition titled Hussein: The Timeless Modernist, which featured over 100 works at the DAG from 26 October to 14 December.

Complainant Amita Sachdeva, a lawyer, said on

On December 10, Ms. Sachdeva reported that she visited the gallery with the investigating officer, but discovered that the paintings had been removed. He claimed that gallery officials claimed that he had never exhibited the paintings.

The BBC has contacted the DAG for comment.

The paintings that Ms Sachdeva shared online depicted Hindu deities Ganesha and Hanuman alongside nude female figures. He also alleged that Delhi Police failed to file a report.

According to media reports, he later petitioned the court to preserve the CCTV footage from the gallery during the period when the paintings were allegedly displayed.

On Monday, a judge of Delhi’s Patiala House Court said that the police had obtained the footage and submitted their report. The judge said that as per the investigation, the exhibition was held at a private place and was intended only to display the artist’s original work.

The art gallery said in a statement that they are “reviewing the situation” and “trying to follow developments”.

Maqbool Fida Hussain was one of India’s greatest painters and was called the “Picasso of India”, but his art often sparked controversy in the country. His works have been sold for millions of dollars.

His career was surrounded by controversy when he was accused of obscenity and condemned by fundamentalist Hindus for his painting of a nude goddess.

In 2006, Husain publicly apologized for his painting, Mother India. It depicts a naked woman sitting on her knees on the ground and drawing the shape of an Indian map. He left the country the same year and lived in self-exile in London until his death.

In 2008, the Supreme Court of India Refused to initiate criminal proceedings against HussainStating that his paintings were not obscene and that nudity was common in Indian iconography and history.

The court had then dismissed an appeal against the High Court’s decision, which had quashed criminal proceedings against Hussain in the cities of Bhopal, Indore and Rajkot, condemning the rise of “new puritanism” in India.

The court also rejected a demand to summon Hussain, who is in exile, and give him an explanation regarding his paintings, which were accused of insulting religious sentiments and disturbing national integrity.

“There are so many such topics, photos and publications. Would you file a case against all of them? What about temple structures? Hussain’s work is art. If you don’t want to see it, don’t see it. Such is the temple There are many such art forms in the structures,” the top court said.

Many believe that the tide of illiberalism is rising against artistic expression in India.

Bombay High Court in October Customs department reprimanded To confiscate the artworks of renowned artists FN Souza and Akbar Padamsee on the grounds that they were “obscene material”.

The court ruled that not every nude or sexually explicit painting is obscene and ordered the release of seven confiscated artworks.

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