Self-exiled in Doha, artist Maqbool Fida Husain has the right to return to India as there’s no legal bar against him, the Supreme Court said while rejecting a petition seeking quashing of all the six criminal proceedings pending against him in courts in the country.
“If he is in Doha, what is the problem,” a bench headed by chief justice KG Balakrishnan asked petitioner Bhim Singh, a former lawmaker and president of the Jammu & Kashmir-based Panthers’ Party.
“Husain has every right to return to India, but he has to take a decision,” the judges told Singh while advising him to withdraw the petition.
The judges said all criminal cases against the 95-year-old barefoot artist, who had been accused of hurting religious sentiments of some people through paintings of Indian gods and goddesses, had been initiated by individuals.
In 2008, the apex court absolved him of drawing ‘obscene’ paintings, saying that they could be seen all over in Indian temples.
Refusing to initiate criminal action against Husain for some of his works, the bench said, “There are many such pictures, paintings and sculptures and some of them are in temples also.”
When Husain had accepted citizenship of Qatar but had insisted that he was “an Indian-origin painter. I will remain so to my last breath,” home minister P Chidambaram had offered him all possible security if he lived in India.
In an interview, he had said, “India is my motherland. I can’t hate my motherland. But India rejected me. Why should I stay in India?’’
“When Sangh Parivar outfits
targeted me, everyone kept silent. No one, including political leadership, artists or intellectuals, came forward to speak for me. But I know the fact that 90% of the people of India love me. They are with me. Only 10% of people, including politicians, are against me,” Husain had said.
