The saffron color of the security room of the Academy of Fine Arts provoked an outcry; theater artists write to BJP Bengal chief

The security room of the iconic Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata was recently painted saffron. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A section of Kolkata’s iconic Academy of Fine Arts has been painted saffron, sparking protests from the city’s theater artists. They wrote a letter to 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 repainted. Some parts of the Nabanna Secretariat were recently painted saffron and white and an attempt was also made to decorate the iconic Writers’ Building with saffron bulbs. The government plans to move the secretariat to this traditional building. Many road barricades have also been painted 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 caught the eye of the public. Following the development, a group of artists gathered outside 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. Bhattacharyya.

“Attack on Bengali Culture”

They said in the letter that it was an inartistic and distorted attack on Bengali culture and those who did it identified themselves as BJP supporters and members. “We strongly protest against these actions and sincerely hope that this institution – the repository of artistic heritage of Calcutta and India – will be restored to its previous state. We appeal to you – as the leader of the West Bengal state unit of the BJP and a figure in the forefront of the fight against theater and art – to examine the real facts of the matter and take appropriate action,” the letter said.

Prominent theater artist Chandan Sen said a group of artists had asked Mr. Bhattacharya for time to meet him personally this week to discuss the matter, hoping he would not support such unprecedented authoritarianism. “His stance on Kamarhati reassures countless people like me. We want to meet him. We believe he will not allow such acts,” Mr Sen added.

“This is utter nonsense. The previous Trinamool Congress government also banned the use of red chairs soon after coming to power. The academy has a rich history of theatrical practice in Bengali culture. You cannot control the mindset of people by changing the colors of buildings,” said renowned theater artist Bibhash Chakraborty.

Aneek Theater Group secretary Arup Roy said artistes have no problem with changing colors but protest is a must when a color is a symbol of dominance.

“Lion Idealists”

Reacting to the matter, actor-turned-MLA Rudranil Ghosh alleged that such acts were done by the Academy staff every time there was a change of government. “Why didn’t they say anything earlier when the Left and Trinamool Congress changed colour? I met them. Couldn’t they even remember what the actual color of that security room is? These artists are not just stage personalities but also Leftist idealists. They must have forgotten that saffron is also the color of Swami Vivekananda and our national flag. So, what’s wrong with saffron?” he added.

Meanwhile, the state BJP chief confirmed the letter sent to the artiste. He strongly opposes such political bias. “This is not part of BJP’s agenda. Previous governments have done it. BJP came to power to bring change in such incidents. We will not allow this to happen. I have seen their letter. If we continue similar acts in Bengal too, people will throw eggs at us too. We don’t want that,” Mr Bhattacharya said.

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

The academy was formally founded in 1933 by Lady Rana Mukherjee. It was originally housed in a room on loan from the Indian Museum and was later shifted to its current location in Cathedral Road, next to the Rabindra Sadan campus. The Academy Galleries provide an incredible 6,300 square feet of space and have an auditorium, a conference center and several important and invaluable art collections by Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Ray, Gaganendranath Tagore and Ramkinkar Baij.

Published – 13 Jul 2026 22:17 IST