Saffron paint of Academy of Fine Arts security room sparks protest; theatre artists write to BJP Bengal chief

A portion of Kolkata’s iconic Academy of Fine Arts has been painted saffron, sparking protests from the city’s theatre artists. They wrote a letter to the West Bengal BJP State president, Samik Bhattacharya, demanding an inquiry into the matter.

Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the State in May, several government buildings, streets, and civic structures have been witnessing a colour change. Some sections of the secretariat Nabanna were recently painted in saffron and white, and a trial to decorate the iconic Writers’ Building with saffron bulbs was also held. The government is planning to shift the secretariat to this traditional building. Many road barricades have also been painted to yellow-and-white from the blue-white combination chosen by previous Trinamool Congress government.