Kolkata Art Academy Color Dispute Escalates Between Political Groups
A security room at Kolkata's Academy of Fine Arts has been repeatedly painted saffron and white within days, sparking controversy between political groups. Artists and a CPI(M) leader initially painted it white, only for BJP delegates to repaint it saffron, accusing others of politically motivated a
Key takeaways
- A security room at Kolkata's Academy of Fine Arts was painted white by artists and a CPI(M) leader on August 11, 2026.
- BJP delegates, including MLA Rudranil Ghosh, repainted the room saffron the following day, August 12, 2026.
- The repeated color changes have led to accusations of political interference and dominance by both sides.
- This incident follows a pattern of color changes in government buildings in West Bengal since May.
A dispute over the color of a security room at Kolkata’s Academy of Fine Arts has intensified as rival political factions exchanged the paint color multiple times. The controversy involves the changing of a security room’s color from white to saffron and back again within a 24-hour period.
What Happened
On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, theatre practitioners and CPI(M) leader Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya painted a security room at the Academy of Fine Arts white. This action followed an earlier incident in June 2026 when the same room was initially painted saffron. On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegates, including MLA Rudranil Ghosh, repainted the room saffron, asserting that the initial change to white was politically motivated by communist groups.
Following the repainting by the BJP, theatre practitioners expressed condemnation, accusing the BJP of politicizing the issue and engaging in acts of dominance. Rudranil Ghosh stated that the room was repainted saffron again because communists had changed the color without consulting the academy’s trustees and that they disliked the color of sacrifice.
Meanwhile, BJP State president Mr. Bhattacharya (note: the source seems to conflate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya with BJP State president Bhattacharya, reporting the latter saying it's not BJP's agenda) stated that playing politics over colors is not part of the BJP’s agenda and called for identification of those responsible for the initial change.
Background
The Academy of Fine Arts, established in 1933 by Lady Ranu Mukherjee, is located on Cathedral Road in Kolkata. Its galleries offer 6,300 sq ft of space, an auditorium, a conference center, and hold significant artworks by renowned artists like Rabindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose. The current controversy is part of a broader trend observed since the BJP came to power in West Bengal in May, with several government buildings and structures reportedly undergoing color changes to saffron and white, replacing combinations previously favored by the Trinamool Congress government.
Key Facts
- On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, a security room at Kolkata's Academy of Fine Arts was painted white by artists and CPI(M) leader Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya.
- On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, BJP delegates, led by MLA Rudranil Ghosh, repainted the same room saffron.
- The room had previously been painted saffron in June 2026, prompting a protest by artists.
- In July 2026, 14 theatre artists wrote to the BJP State president and Chief Minister condemning the saffron painting and calling it an attack on Bengal's culture.
- Rudranil Ghosh stated that the room was repainted saffron again because it was initially changed by communists without trustee consultation.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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