The Hindu Personal Law Board on Wednesday announced a Rs 51 crore reward for eliminating artist M F Hussain. Meanwhile, a Congress minority cell leader offered Rs 11 lakh to any 'patriot' to chop off the painter's hands for hurting Hindu sentiments.
"Anyone who kills Hussain for making obscene paintings of goddess Sarswati and Bharat Mata, the Danish cartoonist, those in the German company printing pictures of Ram and Krishna on tissue paper and the French filmmaker desecrating Lord Shiva will be given Rs 51 crore in cash," Ashok Pandey, board president, said in a statement in Lucknow.
"Peace will not prevail on earth unless such people are eliminated," he added.
Madhya Pradesh Congress committee minority cell vice-chairman Akthar Baig, in a statement in Indore, said the painter had 'played with the sentiments of the people and tried to disrupt communal harmony in the past by painting nude pictures of Hindu gods and goddess and now of Bharat Mata'.
It would be in the 'interest of the nation if a patriot will chop off his hands. I will give that person Rs 11 lakh', he said.
Baig asked the government to take back all the honours bestowed on the noted painter and declare him a 'traitor'. In an Indore court, Baig had earlier filed a petition against Bollywood actor Dharmendra's purported second marriage to Hema Malini.