The Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, is hosting its annual cultural fest, Mood Indigo. On Monday morning, a controversy erupted over a painting put up inside the campus. As per some Shiv Sena members, it hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
What’s so offensive about the painting, you wonder? Well, even we are clueless because this is all there is to the painting:
A man, resembling the Hindu deity Hanuman has been shown as carrying a pen instead of the mace. The man is carrying a mountain just like Hanuman, but is technologically equipped – multiple watches strapped on a wrist and armed with headphones and cellphone. And yes, it is wearing a shirt and shorts.
Here is the painting:
That’s it, really. But as per an Indian Express report, local Sena activists went to the Powai campus on Monday morning on the directions of local MLA Sunil Raut and Sena leader Datta Dalvi to protest against it.
Dalvi told IE that the painting “was in bad taste” and “hurt the religious sentiments of many people”.
The painting was eventually removed and police bandobast on the campus increased.
As per Salunkhe, the administration apologised while the students’ council gave a written apology to the Sena.
The student council at the campus did not comment on the matter to the media.