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

The painting of a part of Kolkata’s iconic Academy of Fine Arts in saffron has sparked protests from the city’s theater artists. They wrote a letter to West Bengal State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya demanding an inquiry into the matter.

Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state in May, many government buildings, streets and civic structures have been experiencing a color change. Parts of Secretariat Nabanna were recently painted in saffron and white, and there was also an attempt to decorate the iconic Writers’ Building with saffron bulbs. The government plans to move the secretariat to this traditional building. Many roadblocks have also been painted in yellow-white, from the blue-white combination chosen by the previous Trinamool Congress government.

About a week ago, the security room of the Academy of Fine Arts was painted saffron. This immediately attracted public attention. 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 theater artists, including Bibhash Chakraborty, Arup Roy, Chandan Sen, Sourav Palodhi and Arun Mukhopadhyay, wrote a letter to Mr. Bhattacharya.

‘Attack on Bengali culture’

The letter stated that this was an inartistic and distorted attack on Bengali culture and those who did this identified themselves as supporters and members of the BJP. “We strongly protest these actions and sincerely hope that this institution, the repository of Kolkata and India’s artistic heritage, will be restored to its former status. As the leader of the West Bengal State unit of the BJP and at the forefront of advocacy for theater and arts, we urge you to investigate the facts of the matter and take appropriate action,” the letter said.

Prominent theater practitioner Chandan Sen said the artist group had asked Mr Bhattacharya for time to meet him in person and discuss the issue this week because they hoped he would not support such unprecedented authoritarianism. Mr. Sen said, “His stance on Kamarhati gives confidence to countless people like me. We want to meet him. We have faith that he will not allow such actions.”

Famous theater artist Bibhash Chakraborty said, “This is complete stupidity. The previous Trinamool Congress government also banned the use of red chairs soon after coming to power. The academy has a rich history of theater practices in Bengali culture. You cannot control people’s mentality by changing the colors of buildings.”

Arup Roy, Secretary of Aneek Theater Group, said that the artists do not face any problem in changing the colour, but protest is essential when color is a symbol of dominance.

‘Left idealists’

Reacting to the issue, actor-turned-MLA Rudranil Ghosh alleged that such actions were taken by the Academy staff every time the government changed. “Why didn’t they say anything earlier when the Left and the Trinamool Congress changed colour? I met them. They couldn’t even remember what the real color of the security room was. These artists are not just theatrical personalities but also Left idealists. They must have forgotten that saffron is also the color of Swami Vivekananda and our National Flag. So what is wrong with saffron?” he added.

Meanwhile, the State BJP chief accepted the letter sent by the artists. He was firmly opposed to such political prejudices. “This is not part of the BJP’s agenda. Previous governments have done this. The BJP came to power to change such incidents. We will not allow this. I have seen their letters. If we continue such actions in Bengal too, people will throw eggs at us too. We do not want this,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

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

The academy was officially founded 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 on Cathedral Road next to the Rabindra Sadan building. The academy’s galleries provide a massive area of ​​6,300 square meters and have an auditorium, a conference centre, and a collection of many important and priceless works of art by Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Ray, Gaganendranath Tagore and Ramkinkar Baij.