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 (BJP) 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.

About a week ago, the security room of the Fine Arts Academy was painted saffron. This immediately caught the eyes of the public. Following the development, a group of artists gathered in front of the academy and staged a protest on Friday (June 10, 2026). On Monday (June 13, 2026), at least 14 theatre artists, including Bibhash Chakraborty, Arup Roy, Chandan Sen, Sourav Palodhi and Arun Mukhopadhyay, wrote a letter to Mr. Bhattacharya.

‘Attack on Bengal’s culture’

In the letter, they said that it was an un-artistic and distorted attack on Bengal’s culture, and the ones who did it identified themselves as supporters and members of the BJP. “We strongly protest these actions and earnestly hope to see this institution — a repository of Kolkata’s and India’s artistic heritage — restored to its previous condition. We urge you — as a leader of the West Bengal State unit of the BJP and a figure at the forefront of championing theatre and the arts — to inquire into the true facts of the matter and take suitable action,” the letter read.

Prominent theatre practitioner Chandan Sen said that the artists’ group sought time from Mr. Bhattacharya to personally meet him and discuss the matter this week as they have hope that he does not support such unprecedented authoritarianism. “His stance regarding Kamarhati is reassuring to countless people like me. We want to meet him. We have faith that he will not allow such acts,” Mr. Sen added.

“This is sheer foolishness. The previous Trinamool Congress government also prohibited the use of red chairs soon after coming to power. The Academy has a rich history of theatre practice in Bengal’s culture. You cannot control people’s mindset by changing the colours of buildings,” said renowned theatre artist Bibhash Chakraborty.

Secretary of Aneek Theatre Group, Arup Roy, said that the artists do not have any problem with changing the paints but the protest is a must when the colour is a symbol of dominance.

‘Left idealists’

Reacting to the matter, the actor-turned-MLA, Rudranil Ghosh maintained that such acts have been done by the Academy’s staff every time the government changed. “Why did they not say anything earlier when the Left and the Trinamool Congress changed the colour? I met them. They couldn’t even remember what the actual colour of that security room was? These artists are not just theatre personalities, but also Left idealists. They must have forgotten that saffron is also the colour of Swami Vivekananda and our National Flag. So, what’s wrong in saffron?” he added.

Meanwhile, the State BJP chief acknowledged the letter sent by the artists. He has strictly opposed such political bias. “This is not part of the BJP’s agenda. Previous governments have done it. BJP has come to power to bring a change to such incidents. We will not let it happen. I have seen their letter. If we also continue doing such acts in Bengal, people will throw eggs at us too. We don’t want that,” Mr. Bhattacharya said. 

The Academy of Fine Arts is primarily governed by a seven-member board of trustees and a 21-member executive committee. Although it is not directly overseen by the government, it occasionally receives several patronages for renovation and other works from various government departments and political leaders.

The academy was formally established in 1933 by Lady Ranu Mukherjee. It was initially located in a room loaned by the Indian Museum, and was later shifted to its current location in Cathedral Road, next to the Rabindra Sadan premises. The galleries of the Academy provide a whopping 6,300 square feet of space and has an auditorium, a conference centre, and several important and priceless collections of artworks by Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Ray, Gaganendranath Tagore, and Ramkinkar Baij.