Well known young artist Pranava Prakash said today he was beaten up by a group of persons at a painting gallery at Noida near Delhi opposing his nude paintings of Indian actresses and models on Sunday.

“Five persons came to the painting gallery yelling at me and pulled me down and my paintings. After slapping me twice, they pushed me to the floor and then destroyed my paintings,” he told journalists in Delhi.

Pranav, 32, has not yet lodged a complaint to the police on the incident and said he was at a loss to understand how such attacks have been taking place in the democratic country.

Nude paintings of Bollywood hot babe Vidya Balan, Pakistani actress Veena Malik, Mumbai-based model Poonam Pandey and other top celebrities drawn by Pranava Prakash were on exhibition at the paintings’ gallery.

“They told me my paintings were against the Indian culture and couldn’t be tolerated,” said Pranav. (JUBS)