RSS workers misbehaved with French artist: Kapil Mishra

Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra today alleged that a group of RSS workers recently misbehaved and forced a French artist and an Indian commissioned by the AAP government to deface their own art work on a wall and replaced it with words 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

However, the RSS "vehemently" refuted the charges and said that right-wing outfit do not believe in any kind of violence or any such activity.

Mishra said he had written to Delhi Police Commissioner to register a case against the culprits who caused obstruction in discharge of duty by government-hired persons, misbehaved with foreign artist and tried to disturb communal atmosphere in the capital.

The minister demanded a proper security for such artists engaged in painting walls under the government's art initiatives - ‘Delhi, I Love You‘.

The work is part of 'MyDilliStory' project commissioned by the Delhi Government's art, culture and languages department. 40 selected couplets in Hindi, English, Urdu and Punjabi languages will be painted on walls across the national capital.

"The incident took place on May 20 when French artist Swen Simon and Akhlaq Ahmed was painting a couplet in Urdu on a wall of the Delhi Jal Board's building in Shahdara.

"Seeing them writing in Urdu, a group of persons who identified themselves as RSS workers asked both artists to stop writing in Urdu and raised slogans 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Hind'," Mishra told a press conference here.

Subsequently, French artist Siman was allegedly surrounded by a group of RSS workers who asked him that they will not let off until they use saffron colour in his painting and write Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on the walls, he said.

""As all artists feared seeing a huge crowd, they followed their instructions. During all episode, they raised slogans in favour of PM Narendra Modi.

"During the incident, police was called there and then they took artists to police station. As I got to know about it, I immediately called up police personnel and told them that they are government-appointed persons. Thereafter, they were let off by the police personnel who respectfully took care of them," Mishra added.