Maqbool Fida Husain, hailed by many as India’s Picasso, has been told his paintings will not be displayed at the India Art Summit, the countries biggest art extravaganza for the second year in a row. The 94-year-olds paintings have drawn criticism, as well as lawsuits, from hard-line Hindus who are angered that some depict Hindu goddesses in the nude. The Muslim artist went to exile in Dubai three years ago. Read more here
Authorities in the western Indian state of Gujarat state have banned a controversial book on Pakistan’s founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The book has been written by Jaswant Singh, who was expelled as leader of the Hindu nationalist main opposition party BJP over the book. The BJP government in Gujarat said it banned the book for its “defamatory references” to Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first home minister who is a political icon in his home state. Jaswant Singh said “the day we start banning books, we are banning thinking.” Read more here
The Lashkar-e-Taiba has enforced a new diktat in parts of Jammu and Kashmir to forbid watching television. The Lashkar terrorists operating in Banihal heights have imposed a ban on watching TV, terming it an “unislamic” activity. There has been a spate of reports of villagers being assaulted and beaten. Read more here
The Indian government has banned the Maoist Communist Party of India as a terrorist group, giving security forces enhanced powers of arrest. Read more here