Jaipur: Activists damage art works on toilet commodes, claim Hindu sentiments hurt

About half a dozen art works on toilet commodes were today damaged by a group of activists who alleged that it has hurt Hindu religious sentiments. The controversial art pieces prepared by a local artist of Udaipur were on display at an exhibition in Jawahar Kala Kendra as a 'modern art'.

"A group of protesters entered the premises of Jawahar Kala Kendra and damaged the installations which had some art work. A case against unidentified protesters has been registered with Bajaj Nagar police station," DCP East K Rastradeep said.

He said that the protesters have not given any complaint so far and a case for hurting religious sentiments would also be registered if they approached police.

Aseem Sharma, State President of Rajasthan Brahman Mahasabha- Yuva Prakostha, who led the protesters, charged the artist with deliberately trying to hurt the sentiments of Hindus and for gaining popularity by stirring a controversy. He said that nearly half a dozen such pots were destroyed during the protest.

The artist Bhupesh Kawadia has used things like sacred thread (Moli) in pots to show his art.

"My art gives a message of sanitation and there is nothing objectionable in it. It does not symbolise God and there is a need to understand the concept of the art which was not made with any malafide intention," he said.