The legendary painter, aged 95, went to the Indian embassy in Doha and surrendered his passport, a local newspaper reported.
Legendary painter MF Husain, who was recently granted Qatari citizenship, has surrendered his Indian passport to the country's mission in Doha, a media report said today.
Husain, 95, revered by many as India's Picasso, yesterday went to the country's mission in Doha and surrendered his Indian passport, The Gulf Times reported.
Husain, who has been living in self-imposed exile for nearly four years following a spate of cases in India over his controversial paintings of Hindu goddesses, had accepted Qatar's offer and would no longer be an Indian, his son Owais Husain told the Press Trust of India recently.
India does not recognise dual citizenship. So, "in such a situation, surrendering passport by the person concerned is mandatory and Husain has only done that", an Indian embassy official was quoted as saying by the paper.
The artist has also applied for the Overseas Citizen of India card, the mission said, adding that it has facilitated all requirements for him to obtain the card.
Husain also had a nearly two-hour meeting with India's ambassador in Qatar Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, the sources said.
Husain, who shuttles between Dubai and London, went in
exile after a hate campaign was launched against him in 2006
over his controversial paintings.
Several cases were filed against him by people protesting against his portrayal of goddesses in the nude. His house in Mumbai was attacked and art works vandalised by fundamentalists in India.
The government of India has described Husain as "the pride of
India" and said it was willing to provide security to him.
"There is no case against MF Husain. The Supreme Court has quashed all the cases against him," Union home secretary GK
Pillai had recently said.
He said the government was ready to provide security to the artist if he planned to return home.
"He [Husain] is the pride of India," foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had said, adding, "I would like him to feel safe and secure in India."
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