Maqbool Fida Husain is back where he finds himself often - in the middle of a controversy over his nudes. This time, he is in the firing line of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Vishwa Hindu Parishad over a painting, Bharath Mata, which has a nude woman's outline resembling the map of India. .... Apparao further says, "I am not narrow minded." This time, she is with drawing the work because the protests have coincided with the auction, but next time she would "try to find a solution to such irresponsible objections". Modern morality, she says "has politicised the issue of nudity." Controversial canvases The above painting of Sita with Hanuman from Husain's Ramayana series caused a huge uproar. Apart from the nudity, hardliners objected to the way Sita clings to the tail, alleging a sexual connotation in the painting In October 1996, a group of Bajrang Dal activists forced their way into the Herwitz Gallery in Ahmedabad's Husain-Doshi Gufa and destroyed about 23 tapestry items and 28 Husain paintings Draupadi on Dice (below), depicting the vastraharan scene, led to taunts that Husain had succeeded where even Dushashan failed: in disrobing the Pandav queen Husain's depiction of Mother Teresa in a Paithani sari faced objections. Critics said Paithani is associated with wealth, something not of concern to the Mother.

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AHMEDABAD: Four years after it reopened, a mob vandalised 'Amdavad ni gufa' early on Monday, apparently to register a protest against MF Husain's painting of Mother India.

This gufa had earlier been vandalised by the Bajrang Dal to protest against the paintings of Goddess Saraswati made by Husain.

Subsequently, the gufa, a joint venture by Ahmedabad-based architect Balkrishna Doshi and Husain, was closed down and its name was changed from Husain-Doshi gufa to 'Amdavad ni gufa'.

They also attempted to break open the gufa's main iron gate. Apparently, around 5 am, they informed the media about the "Mission being accomplished".