New Delhi: A woman artist has been living under life threat ever since she was allegedly forced to remove her paintings depicting an Indian goddess in semi-nude state from an exhibition in Mumbai.

According to reports, Eleena Banik, the artist from North East, has been receiving death threats from Hindu extremists over phone as a result of her two paintings showing scantily clad Goddess Kali. 

Banik’s art work was on display in Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. She   was forced to remove the paintings from public view after police received complaints from protesting Hindu activists. 

In particular, one of her paintings shows goddess Kali without the garland of skulls that normally covers her breasts. The other art work of Banik depicts a goddess-like woman with strawberries placed on her body. Notably, the artist reportedly created the paintings to mark her protest against the brutal December 16 gang-rape of a medical student in Delhi.

Going by the reports, Banik was approached by Hindu extremists, who not only raised objection to the lack of clothing but also forced her to remove the paintings from the exhibition.

Upset over the protests, the 41-year-old artist claimed that she expressed her freedom of expression through her paintings. Ever since the exhibition closed on Monday, Banik is receiving threats over phone and has been given police protection. 

The incident serves a grim reminder of similar controversy in Bangalore in the month of February when three nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses by an up and coming artist were removed in the wake of threat of protest.