When some artists tried to contact BJP's prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayee to see if he could help stop the marauding goondas of the so-called Sangh Parivar, his men said he was too busy with the battle for ... Uttar Pradesh to trifle with "local" issues ...

In yet another display of their intimidatory tactics, a group of VHP members, led by B.L. Sharma 'Prem' and Raghu Vyas, raised abusive slogans, indulged in physical assault, and threatened vandalism at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, Siri Fort area (on 23 February, 1998). This was in continuation of a hysterial campaign whipped up against a lithograph of MF Hussain, dating back t least 20 years, which was included as part of an exhibition on display ... over the last ten days. A statement issued by the VHP, which appeared in the press on February 23, had warned that 'if the painting is not removed form the exhibition by 3 PM, Rambhaktas would set the entire exhibition ablaze'.

Well-known painter Jatin Das ... was chased and physically manhandled by VHP activists when he pleaded with them not to indulge in obscene sloganeering. It is alarming that in the heart of the capital, a gallery under siege is forced to dismount an exhibition. It is also reprehensible that he police force which was present ..did nothing to restraint he marauding ... hooligans ...

We, the following, strongly condemn the series of fascistic attacks that have been launched by the Sangh Parivar (of which the VHP is an integral constituent) against freedom of artistic expression, of which today's incident is the most recent. Further, we would like to use this instance to alert the democratic opinion in the country that this is merely a foretaste of thins to come, if intolerant forces such as these are allowed to get anywhere near the seats of political power.