Gujarat's University Sets Up Panel to Probe Right-wing Groups' Allegations of Objectionable Artworks

A day after right-wing activists staged a protest on the campus of Maharaja Sayajirao University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in Gujarat’s Vadodara alleging that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted in objectionable manner, authorities at the premier facility on Friday formed a fact finding committee to probe the allegations.

MSU Vice Chancellor Dr Vijay Kumar Srivastava has constituted a nine-member fact finding committee “to investigate the matter of exhibition held at the Faculty of Fine Arts on May 5, and submit its report after finding the facts of the same”, a university statement said.

While Professor CN Murty, Dean of Faculty of Technology has been appointed as the convener of the committee, joint registrar Dr Mayank Vyas will be member secretary, and Prof Ambika Patel of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Senate member Jignesh Shah will be members, the statement informed. On Thursday, activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Hindu Jagran Manch and some other right-wing outfits staged a protest on the campus of the faculty alleging that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted in objectionable manner in some of the artworks made by students.

However, the dean of the faculty, Dr Jayaram Poduval, had denied the allegation, while the local police too had said they did not find any objectionable artworks as alleged by protesters. Artworks prepared by students of the Fine Arts faculty are put on display in the faculty’s exhibition area every year as part of exam assessment. ABVP leaders had claimed the controversial artworks were part of the exhibition, but were removed after the outrage.

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