Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Aug 17: Right Wing Hindu Organisation’s protest against objectionable paintings have snowballed into a major controversy with Goa losing a veteran member on its high level committee.

Prominent actor and intellectual Girish Karnad resigned from Goa’s Golden Jubilee Development Council led by scientist Dr Raghunath Mashelkar expressing `shock’ over government’s silence on the attack of freedom of expression of a painter.

“Let me say how deeply shocked I am to hear of the attacks by self-styled standard-bearers of Hindu culture on the works of Jose Pereira, a scholar and  artist of eminence,” Karnad in the letter written to Goa chief minister on August 12 says.

Jose Pereira’s paintings were objected to by right wing Hindu organization – Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, after they portrayed nude shiva and nude Krishna. The exhibition was called off last month after the group protested at Xavier Centre of Historical Research near here.

“I am horrified that private vigilante groups should be permitted to take the law into their hands while the State stands mute and the police express inability to protect the exhibition of his work,” Karnad said.

“I should like to withdraw my name from the High Level Committee which you were kind enough to invite me to serve on since this is not the culture of liberation I had hoped to celebrate,” Karnad added.