From Priyanka Gandhi to Jitendra Singh: Congress and controversies over MF Husain

It seems the Congress party’s fascination with art, particularly the works of the legendary painter and former Rajya Sabha member MF Husain, continues to make headlines, though not for reasons artistic.

From Delhi’s power corridors to courtrooms, the brushstrokes of controversy seem to follow the grandmaster’s canvas wherever Congress leaders are involved.

In the latest episode, a Delhi court has initiated criminal proceedings against Assam Congress in-charge and former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bhanwar Jitendra Singh over an alleged “missing” Husain painting worth over Rs 1 crore. 

The complaint, filed by Rohit Singh Mahiyaria, accuses Singh of failing to return a painting loaned to him in 2014 by his mother, Dr. Prabha Thakur, a former MP and noted poet.

According to the complaint, Singh had requested the artwork—painted by the legendary Maqbool Fida Husain—under the pretext of showing it to his wife, an admirer of Husain’s work, before deciding whether to purchase it. 

Dr. Thakur, who had purchased the painting from Mumbai’s Sachi Gallery for Rs 22 lakh, obliged in good faith. What followed, however, was a vanishing act. Despite repeated reminders, the artwork was allegedly never returned. Singh reportedly offered multiple assurances before claiming he could no longer locate the prized piece.

In 2017, after years of polite persuasion turned to frustration, the family served a legal notice—one that Singh allegedly ignored. Now, after years of silence, the court has stepped in. 

Special Judge Jitendra Singh (no relation) noted that the accused’s conduct—false assurances and refusal to return the painting—amounted to criminal breach of trust under the IPC.

Also Read: Court initiates criminal proceedings against Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh over MF Husain painting custody

But this isn’t the Congress party’s first brushstroke with a Husain controversy.

In 2022, Yes Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor alleged before the Enforcement Directorate that he was “forced” to buy an M.F. Husain painting from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for Rs 2 crore. 

Kapoor claimed he was pressured by the late Congress leader Murli Deora and his son Milind Deora, who allegedly warned him of “adverse repercussions” if he refused.

According to Kapoor, the proceeds from the sale were used for the medical treatment of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New York. The painting, notably, was a portrait of Rajiv Gandhi gifted by Husain in 1985—raising questions about whether it was personal property or belonged to the party.

Congress dismissed the allegations as “political vendetta” and clarified that Priyanka Gandhi had received the payment via cheque, duly declared in her 2010 income tax returns. They maintained that the transaction was legitimate and reflected the market value of Husain’s work at the time.

Still, the irony persists. For a party that often paints itself as the guardian of India’s artistic and cultural heritage, Congress seems to be caught in a recurring art saga—where Husain’s canvases keep reappearing in the most unflattering of frames.

As things stand, one might say that M.F. Husain’s art continues to do what it always did best—provoke strong reactions. Only this time, the galleries have been replaced by courtrooms, and the critics wear black robes.