Police turn vandals: Live pictures of vandalism

http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii33/svbadri/?action=view&current=HandfulofMuslimfanaticscausetrouble.jpg

http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii33/svbadri/?action=view&current=PolicefollowtheactionsoftheirACPMur.jpg

http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii33/svbadri/?action=view&current=ACPMuralidestroyingexhibitsdespitep.jpg

Photographs courtesy: SV Badri on Photobucket

Bloggers react :

A Tamil blog protests

ஆரம்பிக்கிறது வன்முறை
ஒரு நாலைந்து முஸ்லீம்கள் பிரச்சினையிலும் வாக்குவாதத்திலும் ஈடுபடுகிறார்கள். அவர்களுக்குப் பாதுகாப்பாக போலீஸ் வேடிக்கை பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது.

ACP முரளி மிகுந்த கோபத்தோடு அங்கிருந்த பெண் தன்னார்வலரை “தீவிரவாதி” என்று திட்டுகிறார். வெள்ளைக்கார நாய்க்குத் துணையாக வேலை செய்கிறீர்களா என்று மிரட்டுகிறார்.(ஃப்ரான்ஷ்வா கத்தியேவை ஒரு வெள்ளைக்கார நாய் என்று திட்டுவது இனவெறுப்பை வெளிப்படுத்தும் வசவுச் சொல்.)
காவல்காரர் முரளி பெண் தன்னார்வலரிடம் கேவலமாகப் பேசுகிறார்.

TIMES OF INDIA
Exhibition on Aurangzeb closed down
Pushpa Narayan | TNN

Chennai: An exhibition on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at the Lalit Kala Akademi in Chennai was abruptly closed down and the paintings taken away by the police after protests that some of the depictions were objectionable and a distortion of history.
According to Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT), which organised the exhibition, the miniature paintings at the show depicted Aurangzeb’s ‘‘cruelty against not just his father and sons but the entire Hindu clan’’. But within days of its opening on March 3, there were protests from certain quarters against the exhibition.
Among the paintings were depictions of demolition of famous temples in Somnath and Mathura. Thursday last, the cops asked the organisers to remove the objectionable paintings, but it was turned down. ‘‘By the evening, there were arguments between some VIPs who visited the exhibition. Soon a group of people arrived and threatened that they would take to the streets if the pictures were not removed. We seized the paintings and closed down the exhibition to avoid a law and order problem,’’ said Nungambakkam DCP Murali.

Indian Secularism and Free Speech: Not for the Hindu

March 10, 2008
Vivek Bharat
(http://desicritics.org/2008/03/10/011149.php)

FACT is an acronym for Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, an organization founded by Francois Gautier, a French journalist based in India who shares a deep empathy for the sufferings of the Hindu, both past and present. This compassion stems not from a blind fascination but is an informed considered judgment derived from a close reading of Indian history. Troubled by the inexplicable apathy of the Hindus vis-à-vis their own past torment, this Frenchman has taken upon himself the duty to educate Indians, through a series of exhibitions, about the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits, the oppression of Hindus in Bangladesh and more recently the fiend, Aurangzeb.

‘Aurangzeb as he was, according to Moghul records” is the title of a collection of paintings highlighting the atrocities of this tyrant and has been exhibited to much acclaim in the cities of Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. FACT-sponsored exhibitions are not crude street shows but sophisticated exercises in true history telling anointed by the likes of Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, KPS Gill, N. Vittal and B. Raman. Whether we agree with their views or not we must admit that these individuals are upright citizens of our country who would think twice before associating themselves with dubious ventures.

The same exhibition was hosted in Chennai at the prestigious Lalit Kala Akademi, and was scheduled to run from March 3- March 9. But on March 5, a group of Islamic fundamentalists barged into the exhibition, objected to the show, created a ruckus and threatened to storm the place with hundreds of supporters after Friday prayers from the mosque nearby. A day later, the Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali visited the exhibition and claimed that FACT was misrepresenting history. In the words of Kanchan Gupta (Artistic freedom yes, but not with Aurangzeb, Daily Pioneer, March 9, 2008):

“He was particularly enraged by two miniatures — the first depicted Aurangzeb’s army destroying the Somnath temple and the second showed the destruction of the Kesava Rai temple in Mathura.

By Thursday, March 7, “higher authorities” in Tamil Nadu Government had issued instructions to the police to shut down the exhibition. Murali, (Asst Commissioner of Police) along with his men, stormed into the exhibition hall on Thursday evening and began taking down the paintings. “He was looking for the paintings showing the destruction of Somnath and Kesava Rai temples. He threw them to the floor,” said a FACT volunteer.”

This sequence of events raises the disturbing specter of how Islamic fundamentalists in concert with vested interests can suppress the dissemination of authentic history and thwart a basic tenet of democracy: the principle of free speech.

Aurangzeb was a confirmed bigot vetted by historians of every hue and persuasion. There is not a shred of evidence to proclaim his innocence or any shadow of doubt about the religious oppression that he unleashed against his Hindu subjects. But yet we have a Muslim community taking up cudgels on his behalf. This only serves to give you a glimpse into the mindset of certain sections of India’s Muslim population who remain in a time wrap of past Muslim glory which was marked by the destruction of hundreds of Hindu temples and massacre of thousands of innocent Hindus and who continue to revere religious despots like Aurangazeb.

The two miniatures referred to above are hardly controversial; the events depicted having been corroborated by Aurangzeb’s own words and the works of his own sanctioned chroniclers. As proof of the same:

a) “… The Temple of Somnath was demolished early in my reign and idol worship(there) put down. It is not known what the state of things there is at present. If the idolators have again taken to the worship of images at the place, then destroy the temple in such a way that no trace of the building maybe left, and also expel them (the worshippers) from the place. …” (From “Kalimat-i-Tayyibat” by ‘Inayatullah, a collection of letters and orders of Aurangzeb compiled by ‘Inayatullah in AD 1719 and covering the years 1699-1704 of Aurangzeb’s reign.)

b) “During this month of Ramzan abounding in miracles, the Emperor as the promoter of justice and overthrower of mischief, as the knower of truth and destroyer of oppression, as the zephyr of the garden of victory and the reviver of the faith of the Prophet,issued orders for the demolition of the temple situated in Mathura, famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In the short time by the great exertions of his officers the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built at the expenditure of a large sum…” ( from “Mas’ir-i-‘Alamgiri” by Saqi Must’ad Khan. This work was completed in 1710 at the behest of Inayatu”llah Khan Kashmiri, Aurangzeb’s last secretary and the materials which Must’ad Khan used in this history of Aurangzeb’s reign came mostly from the State archive)

The Tamil Nadu government, by succumbing to the pressure of Islamic fundamentalists without ascertaining the facts has not only shown poor judgment but exhibited an eagerness to appease fundamentalists. More importantly, this brings to the fore the anti-Hindu agenda of the DMK run Tamil Nadu government that has repeatedly trampled on Hindu sentiments. Just a few months ago, the DMK supremo Karunanidhi let loose a vituperative tirade against the Hindu deity Shri Ram in the context of the Ramsethu controversy and the manner in which the assistant commissioner of police responded to his ‘call of duty’ in this matter is another example of the deep seated antipathy towards Hindus and Hinduism that some in this state harbor.

What was even more striking was the total blackout of this incident from the mainstream English media. Except for the Daily Pioneer, none of the major Indian newspapers including the Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and Times of India thought it fit to report the event. The Hindu did print a few lines but that was to commend the closure of the exhibition: so much for these so- called bastions of free speech.

Compare this with the quantum of newsprint and number of editorials that followed when Hindu groups disrupted an exhibition at Baroda University last year: the contrast is striking and double standards all too obvious.

And what about those self-appointed champions of human rights like Teesta Setalvad and Shabana Azmi? Surprisingly I do not hear even a murmur of protest from them: another testimony to the fact that their activism is not a fair effort to promote human values but a devious conspiracy to target Hindus.

I cannot but infer that Indian secularism is warped. Indian secularism is discriminatory. Indian secularism is nothing but a tool to muzzle the practicing Hindu. It is a synonym for minority appeasement and Hindu bashing. Until we change this attitude and apply the same yardstick to one and all we cannot hope for a truly civilized democracy in India.

References:
1) Destruction of Hindu Temples by Rajiv Verma
2) Kanchan Gupta: “Artistic freedom yes, but not with Aurangzeb“, Daily Pioneer, March 9, 2008

Artistic freedom yes, but not with Aurangzeb : Kanchan Gupta (Pioneer daily)

Artistic freedom yes, but not with Aurangzeb
DAILY PIONEER

Artistic freedom in increasingly ‘secular’ India has come to mean the right to denigrate Jesus Christ and Goddess Shakti, as was done by a callow student of the fine arts faculty of Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda last year. But permission to exhibit exquisite miniatures and firmans related to Aurangzeb has been denied, because 15 Muslims and a bogus nawab have demanded so.

French journalist Francois Gautier’s Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT) has painstakingly — and at great expense — put together a collection of 40 miniatures and firmans that tell the story of Aurangzeb’s rule. The exhibition is called Aurangzeb as he was according to Mughal records. “We have taken care to present all facets of Aurangzeb, including his piety,” says Gautier.

The collection was first exhibited to critical acclaim at the Habitat Centre in New Delhi. It next travelled to Pune where one lakh people visited the show. It was equally well received in Bangalore where the popular Gallery G hosted the exhibition. FACT then decided to take the collection to Chennai where it was supposed to be exhibited at the Lalit Kala Akademi from March 3 to 9.

The exhibition was inaugurated by N Vittal, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, and B Raman, security expert and former R&AW official, March 3 at 5 pm. Some 100 people attended the inauguration. Since March 4, a continuous stream of people came to see the exhibits.

On March 5, a group of 15 Muslims (Gautier says “they were no more than six”) affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, Manitha Neethi Paasarai and other Muslim organisations, entered the exhibition hall and confronted FACT volunteers who were present there. Raising their voice, they rubbished the show and alleged that it did not portray the right image of ‘their’ Aurangzeb.

“They threatened they wouldn’t allow the show to go on, that they would send hundreds of protesters after Friday prayers from a nearby mosque,” says Gautier. The organisers lodged a complaint with the local police station and the next day policemen were posted at Lalit Kala Akademi.

Meanwhile, RM Palaniappan, manager of Lalit Kala Akademi, rattled by the protest by 15 men, asked FACT to pack up and leave. He panicked after Assistant Commissioner of Police KN Murali visited the exhibition hall, had a cursory look at the miniatures and firmans (written in Persian and hence unintelligible to him), worked himself into a rage and shouted at the organisers, lacing his diatribe with expletives, before stomping off, threatening to return.

On March 6, Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali made a surprise visit to the exhibition at 3 pm. After spending some time looking at the miniatures and the firmans, he lashed out at FACT volunteers and accused them of “misrepresenting facts”. He was particularly enraged by two miniatures — the first depicted Aurangzeb’s army destroying the Somnath temple and the second showed the destruction of the Kesava Rai temple in Mathura.

He insisted that the paintings amounted to “fabrication and distortion of history” and that Aurangzeb had never done anything to harm the Hindus. He demanded that the exhibition be immediately shut down and said he would take up the issue with “higher authorities” in the State Government. Later, the ‘Prince of Arcot’ issued a Press statement, claiming, “the exhibition seemed to dwell only on Aurangazeb’s alleged misdeeds and not a word about his munificent contribution. The exhibition would only promote enmity between various groups.”

By Thursday, March 7, “higher authorities” in Tamil Nadu Government had issued instructions to the police to shut down the exhibition. Murali, along with his men, stormed into the exhibition hall on Thursday evening and began taking down the paintings. “He was looking for the paintings showing the destruction of Somnath and Kesava Rai temples. He threw them to the floor,” said a FACT volunteer.

The police say they acted after receiving “three complaints that the show would disturb communal harmony”. They wanted the exhibition to be shut down immediately as the next day was Friday. The police also forcibly took into custody three FACT volunteers — Saraswathi (65), D Vijayalakshmi (62) and Malathi (47) — although women cannot be detained after sunset in police stations. They were not allowed to contact their families.

The hall has been sealed and FACT has no idea about the fate of the paintings and other exhibits, including the priceless firmans. “I am told some of the paintings have been damaged beyond repair. This is shocking, especially because what we have witnessed is vandalism by the police,” says Gautier.

Aurangazeb and Islamic compassion-I

By: V SUNDARAM Saturday, 08 March, 2008 , 03:45 PM . FACT (Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism) had organized an Exhibition of Paintings under the theme ‘AURANGAZEB’ as he was’ according to Mughal Records’ in Chennai from 3 to 9 March, 2008. . The venue of the Exhibition was ‘Lalit Kala Academi’ (National Academy of Art), Greams Road, Chennai. The exhibition was inaugurated by Vittal, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, B Raman, former Additional Secretary to the Government of India and S Gurumurthy, columnist, on 3 March at 5 pm. The inauguration was attended by about 100 people. Prior to the inauguration, a press meet was also conducted. From the next morning onwards, visitors started coming and the numbers gradually increased towards the evening. On Wednesday ( 5 March), a group of Muslims (around 15 people) belonging to the TMMK (Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam), MNP (Manitha Neethi Paasarai) and other Muslim outfits, visited the exhibition hall and spoke in an intimidating manner to the volunteers of the exhibition about the authenticity of the paintings and the historical information that was being exhibited. This newspaper had carried a report about the inauguration of the exhibition. A few police officers from the local area police station (Thousand Lights-F4) were posted at the venue, because of the ruckus created by the Muslims at the venue of the exhibition the previous day. The Lalit Kala Academi in-charge R M Palaniappan asked the organisers to vacate, in anticipation of problems. The Assistant Commissioner of Police Murali visited the venue, went around the exhibits, questioned the organisers and volunteers, allegedly made some barbarously arrogant remarks and went out. Then, Hindu Munnani president Ramagopalan and VHP office bearer Gopalji made a visit to the exhibition. Gopalji had arranged for the visit of press persons and TV anchors, who all came and covered the exhibition. Tamizhisai Sounderarajan, State deputy general secretary of BJP and her colleagues also visited in the afternoon. Chandralekha, president, Janata Party, Tamilnadu, too had visited the exhibition. Then around 3 pm on 6 March, Prince of Arcot Mohammed Ali visited and went around the exhibits. He hotly debated and argued with the volunteers present there about the truth and authenticity of the paintings and the information they carried. He expressed the view that all the paintings on display about the atrocities of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Persian: ???????? (full title: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abdul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, Padshah Ghazi) against the Hindus of India constituted a form of fabricated and distorted history. He questioned the necessity of conducting such an exhibition in Chennai. He also blamed the organisers for having a hidden agenda of inciting communal hatred. Finally he concluded that the exhibition must be closed with immediate effect. Before leaving, he said that he would issue statements through a press meet about the exhibition and that he would also take up the issue with the appropriate authority. The Prince of Arcot in a press release has said, ‘the exhibition seemed to dwell only on Aurangazeb’s alleged misdeeds and not a word about his munificent contributions. The exhibition would only promote enmity between various groups.’ In this context, I wounder weather the Prince of Arcot and other Muslim outfits were promoting communal harmony at all in the real sense at the venue of the exbition? The Assistant Commissioner of Police who later visited the venue used most unparliamentary words against the organisers including against Francois Gautier who was the main architect behind the exhibition. I have it on the authority of Chandralekha, president, Tamilnadu Janata Party and many other respectable citizens who were present at the venue that the police functioned in a reprehensibly partial manner expressing themselves in open support of the Muslim outfits. After forcing the volunteers to close down the exhibition, the police took four organisers / volunteers ( Saraswati, Vijayalakshmi, Malathi and B R Haran) and one senior citizen (S Raman-a visitor from RSS) into custody and took them to Thousand Lights Police Station after 7 PM. This was in gross violation of the instructions of the Supreme Court of India regarding the procedure to be followed by the police before arresting any person. Moreover the Police had no business to arrest highly educated and cultured women from decent families after 7 PM. Sadagopan, editor, Vijayabaratham, who was there on the spot rushed outside for arranging lawyers for helping the organisers / volunteers illegally apprehended by the police. The four volunteers, who were detained without any cause in the station, have very decent family backgrounds, are well educated and they have never gone inside a police station even once in their lives so far. The Muslim who had barged in to the hall, created trouble and threatened the volunteers and organisers, were let free by the police. The police had let the trouble shooters free and took only the organisers to the station! A thing like this can happen only in Tamilnadu, where a ‘Minority Government’ runs for the welfare of only ‘Minorities’. FACT, Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, was started in 2003 by Francois Gautier, a French journalist and writer who has been covering for 25 years India and South Asia as a political correspondent for numerous newspapers such as Journal de GenËve, Le Figaro, or Ouest-France. All throughout his reporting years, he noticed that most western correspondents were projecting the problems, warts and all, the shortcomings of India, but never its positive points. He also felt that the problems of the Hindus, the majority community of India, are never highlighted, but that rather, they are despised or made fun off. On top of that, their history has been written in such a biased and unscientific manner, that very little of its unparalleled greatness and unique spirituality comes through. Hence when Francois Gautier got a Journalism Prize (Natchiketa Award of Excellence in Journalism) from the Prime Minister of India, he used the prize money to mount a series of exhibitions highlighting the plight of Hindus today and throughout the ages. The first one dealt with the ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Hindus, four hundred thousand of them having become refuges in their own country. This exhibition was shown successfully in Delhi, Bangalore, Poland, Germany, Israel, England, and Holland and in the US Congress last July. Another exhibition on the Hindus in Bangladesh is ready, path-breaking project on Aurangzeb’s times has started and one more on the Inquisition in Goa is on the cards. The exhibition that has been illegally closed by the police belongs to this series. What is legal in Delhi, Bangalore, Poland, Germany, Israel, England, Holland and USA, becomes illegal in Tamilnadu, thanks to our enlightened police force. I will now endeavour to present in a series of well documented articles based on original Islamic sources about the large scale destruction of Hindu Temples in India by Muslim invaders and Rulers from 8th century AD to the end of the 18th century AD. Aurangazeb, the Mughal Emperor, belonged to this anti-Hindu tradition. Sita Ram Goel in his classic volumes Hindu Temples, What happened to them? has furnished irrefutable historical, photographic, epigraphic, literary documentary evidence regarding the large scale destruction of Hindu Temples in India from 700 AD to 1800 AD. To quote his words in this context: ‘The evidence presented in these volumes, from purely Islamic sources, shows that the destruction of Hindu Temples at the hands of Islamized invaders continued for more than eleven hundred (1100) years, from the middle of the seventh century to the end of the eighteenth century. It took place all over the vast cradle of Hindu Culture, from Sinkiang in the North to Tamil Nadu in the South, and from Seistan in the West to Assam in the East. All along, the iconoclasts remained convinced that they were putting into practice the highest tenets of their Islamic Religion. They also saw to it that a record was kept of what they prized as a pious performance. The language of the record speaks for itself. It leaves no doubt that they took considerable pride in doing what they did. It is inconceivable that a constant and consistent behaviour pattern, witnessed for a long time and over a vast area, can be explained except in terms of a settled system of belief which leaves no scope for second thoughts. Looking at the very large number of temples, big and small, destroyed or desecrated or plundered or converted into Muslim monuments, economic or political explanations can be only a futile, if not fraudulent, exercise. The explanations are not even plausible. In fact, it is not at all difficult to locate the system of belief which inspired the behaviour pattern for eleven hundred years. We have only to turn to the Scriptures of Islam – the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and we run straight into what we are looking for. The principles and the pious precedents which were practiced and followed by the subsequent swordsmen of Islam are, all of them, there. The Scriptures of Islam do not merely record what happened in the past; they also prescribed that what is recorded should be imitated by the faithful in the future, till the end of time. That is why the swordsmen of Islam who functioned in times much later than that of the Quran and the Sunnah, did what they did. It is a very nature of Islamic Scriptures that they make permanent what can otherwise be dated and dismissed as temporary aberrations.” The scriptures containing the above message are still being taught even today in hundreds of maktab-s and madrasa-s over the length and breadth of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Missionaries of Islam that are turned out by these Institutions, year after year, are never told by their teachers that the prescriptions regarding other people’s places of worship stand abrogated or are out of date. At the same time, the swordsmen who destroyed innumerable temples and monasteries all over the vast cradle of Hindu culture during the last fourteen hundred years, retain their halos as the heroes of Islam. This alone can explain why Hindu Temples become the first targets of attack whenever Muslim mobs are incited against the Hindus by the Mullahs and Politicians in India, Kashmir and Bangladesh. This story is not the end; not even the beginning of the end but only the end of the beginning.

Aurangazeb and Islamic compassion-I

By: V SUNDARAM Saturday, 08 March, 2008 , 03:45 PM . FACT (Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism) had organized an Exhibition of Paintings under the theme ‘AURANGAZEB’ as he was’ according to Mughal Records’ in Chennai from 3 to 9 March, 2008. . The venue of the Exhibition was ‘Lalit Kala Academi’ (National Academy of Art), Greams Road, Chennai. The exhibition was inaugurated by Vittal, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, B Raman, former Additional Secretary to the Government of India and S Gurumurthy, columnist, on 3 March at 5 pm. The inauguration was attended by about 100 people. Prior to the inauguration, a press meet was also conducted. From the next morning onwards, visitors started coming and the numbers gradually increased towards the evening. On Wednesday ( 5 March), a group of Muslims (around 15 people) belonging to the TMMK (Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam), MNP (Manitha Neethi Paasarai) and other Muslim outfits, visited the exhibition hall and spoke in an intimidating manner to the volunteers of the exhibition about the authenticity of the paintings and the historical information that was being exhibited. This newspaper had carried a report about the inauguration of the exhibition. A few police officers from the local area police station (Thousand Lights-F4) were posted at the venue, because of the ruckus created by the Muslims at the venue of the exhibition the previous day. The Lalit Kala Academi in-charge R M Palaniappan asked the organisers to vacate, in anticipation of problems. The Assistant Commissioner of Police Murali visited the venue, went around the exhibits, questioned the organisers and volunteers, allegedly made some barbarously arrogant remarks and went out. Then, Hindu Munnani president Ramagopalan and VHP office bearer Gopalji made a visit to the exhibition. Gopalji had arranged for the visit of press persons and TV anchors, who all came and covered the exhibition. Tamizhisai Sounderarajan, State deputy general secretary of BJP and her colleagues also visited in the afternoon. Chandralekha, president, Janata Party, Tamilnadu, too had visited the exhibition. Then around 3 pm on 6 March, Prince of Arcot Mohammed Ali visited and went around the exhibits. He hotly debated and argued with the volunteers present there about the truth and authenticity of the paintings and the information they carried. He expressed the view that all the paintings on display about the atrocities of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Persian: ???????? (full title: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abdul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, Padshah Ghazi) against the Hindus of India constituted a form of fabricated and distorted history. He questioned the necessity of conducting such an exhibition in Chennai. He also blamed the organisers for having a hidden agenda of inciting communal hatred. Finally he concluded that the exhibition must be closed with immediate effect. Before leaving, he said that he would issue statements through a press meet about the exhibition and that he would also take up the issue with the appropriate authority. The Prince of Arcot in a press release has said, ‘the exhibition seemed to dwell only on Aurangazeb’s alleged misdeeds and not a word about his munificent contributions. The exhibition would only promote enmity between various groups.’ In this context, I wounder weather the Prince of Arcot and other Muslim outfits were promoting communal harmony at all in the real sense at the venue of the exbition? The Assistant Commissioner of Police who later visited the venue used most unparliamentary words against the organisers including against Francois Gautier who was the main architect behind the exhibition. I have it on the authority of Chandralekha, president, Tamilnadu Janata Party and many other respectable citizens who were present at the venue that the police functioned in a reprehensibly partial manner expressing themselves in open support of the Muslim outfits. After forcing the volunteers to close down the exhibition, the police took four organisers / volunteers ( Saraswati, Vijayalakshmi, Malathi and B R Haran) and one senior citizen (S Raman-a visitor from RSS) into custody and took them to Thousand Lights Police Station after 7 PM. This was in gross violation of the instructions of the Supreme Court of India regarding the procedure to be followed by the police before arresting any person. Moreover the Police had no business to arrest highly educated and cultured women from decent families after 7 PM. Sadagopan, editor, Vijayabaratham, who was there on the spot rushed outside for arranging lawyers for helping the organisers / volunteers illegally apprehended by the police. The four volunteers, who were detained without any cause in the station, have very decent family backgrounds, are well educated and they have never gone inside a police station even once in their lives so far. The Muslim who had barged in to the hall, created trouble and threatened the volunteers and organisers, were let free by the police. The police had let the trouble shooters free and took only the organisers to the station! A thing like this can happen only in Tamilnadu, where a ‘Minority Government’ runs for the welfare of only ‘Minorities’. FACT, Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, was started in 2003 by Francois Gautier, a French journalist and writer who has been covering for 25 years India and South Asia as a political correspondent for numerous newspapers such as Journal de GenËve, Le Figaro, or Ouest-France. All throughout his reporting years, he noticed that most western correspondents were projecting the problems, warts and all, the shortcomings of India, but never its positive points. He also felt that the problems of the Hindus, the majority community of India, are never highlighted, but that rather, they are despised or made fun off. On top of that, their history has been written in such a biased and unscientific manner, that very little of its unparalleled greatness and unique spirituality comes through. Hence when Francois Gautier got a Journalism Prize (Natchiketa Award of Excellence in Journalism) from the Prime Minister of India, he used the prize money to mount a series of exhibitions highlighting the plight of Hindus today and throughout the ages. The first one dealt with the ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Hindus, four hundred thousand of them having become refuges in their own country. This exhibition was shown successfully in Delhi, Bangalore, Poland, Germany, Israel, England, and Holland and in the US Congress last July. Another exhibition on the Hindus in Bangladesh is ready, path-breaking project on Aurangzeb’s times has started and one more on the Inquisition in Goa is on the cards. The exhibition that has been illegally closed by the police belongs to this series. What is legal in Delhi, Bangalore, Poland, Germany, Israel, England, Holland and USA, becomes illegal in Tamilnadu, thanks to our enlightened police force. I will now endeavour to present in a series of well documented articles based on original Islamic sources about the large scale destruction of Hindu Temples in India by Muslim invaders and Rulers from 8th century AD to the end of the 18th century AD. Aurangazeb, the Mughal Emperor, belonged to this anti-Hindu tradition. Sita Ram Goel in his classic volumes Hindu Temples, What happened to them? has furnished irrefutable historical, photographic, epigraphic, literary documentary evidence regarding the large scale destruction of Hindu Temples in India from 700 AD to 1800 AD. To quote his words in this context: ‘The evidence presented in these volumes, from purely Islamic sources, shows that the destruction of Hindu Temples at the hands of Islamized invaders continued for more than eleven hundred (1100) years, from the middle of the seventh century to the end of the eighteenth century. It took place all over the vast cradle of Hindu Culture, from Sinkiang in the North to Tamil Nadu in the South, and from Seistan in the West to Assam in the East. All along, the iconoclasts remained convinced that they were putting into practice the highest tenets of their Islamic Religion. They also saw to it that a record was kept of what they prized as a pious performance. The language of the record speaks for itself. It leaves no doubt that they took considerable pride in doing what they did. It is inconceivable that a constant and consistent behaviour pattern, witnessed for a long time and over a vast area, can be explained except in terms of a settled system of belief which leaves no scope for second thoughts. Looking at the very large number of temples, big and small, destroyed or desecrated or plundered or converted into Muslim monuments, economic or political explanations can be only a futile, if not fraudulent, exercise. The explanations are not even plausible. In fact, it is not at all difficult to locate the system of belief which inspired the behaviour pattern for eleven hundred years. We have only to turn to the Scriptures of Islam – the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and we run straight into what we are looking for. The principles and the pious precedents which were practiced and followed by the subsequent swordsmen of Islam are, all of them, there. The Scriptures of Islam do not merely record what happened in the past; they also prescribed that what is recorded should be imitated by the faithful in the future, till the end of time. That is why the swordsmen of Islam who functioned in times much later than that of the Quran and the Sunnah, did what they did. It is a very nature of Islamic Scriptures that they make permanent what can otherwise be dated and dismissed as temporary aberrations.” The scriptures containing the above message are still being taught even today in hundreds of maktab-s and madrasa-s over the length and breadth of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Missionaries of Islam that are turned out by these Institutions, year after year, are never told by their teachers that the prescriptions regarding other people’s places of worship stand abrogated or are out of date. At the same time, the swordsmen who destroyed innumerable temples and monasteries all over the vast cradle of Hindu culture during the last fourteen hundred years, retain their halos as the heroes of Islam. This alone can explain why Hindu Temples become the first targets of attack whenever Muslim mobs are incited against the Hindus by the Mullahs and Politicians in India, Kashmir and Bangladesh. This story is not the end; not even the beginning of the end but only the end of the beginning.

Aurangzeb expo abruptly closed

Aurangzeb expo abruptly closed
Friday March 7 2008 08:42 IST

G Babu Jayakumar (New Indian express chennai)

CHENNAI: An ‘artistic exhibition on Aurangzeb’ at the Lalit Kala Akademi was closed on Thursday, four days after it opened, reportedly after it assumed political overtones.

The Akademi asked the show’s organisers to vacate the hall though it was booked till March 9. On Thursday morning, Assistant Commissioner of Police K N Murali and the regional secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi, R M Palaniappan, who wanted to seal the doors to the show, were forced to retreat as a phalanx of politicians from Hindu groups and Janata Party leader V S Chandralekha arrived.

The police and Akademi official feared that two paintings on display could incite communal passions. Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, who visited the exhibition, called it ‘a bunkum’. He said it was ‘cooked up history’ and he could challenge the authenticity of documents on display.

He confronted Chandraleka and the other volunteers of Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT), who had put together a series of documents and paintings under the title ‘Aurangzeb as he was according to Moghul records’, questioning them on the necessity of organising the show.

Ramagopalan and his followers refused to remove the two ‘potentially controversial’ paintings – one on the demolition of the Saranath temple in Gujarat in 1669 and the other having vignettes of the destruction of Keshava Rai temple at Mathura (1669) and the building of a mosque – but offered to put a veil over them.

Palaniappan said he received a written complaint from an advocate Jainauddin, who described the exhibits as ‘objectionable’. He said several people had also called him to express their displeasure.

Admitting that he had failed to screen the exhibits before the display, Palaniappan said he had the powers to call off an exhibition any time. Francois Gautier, a Delhi-based French journalist who had planned the show, told this website’s newspaper that police refused to provide protection.

Press coverage : Aurangzeb Exhibition Chennai

Aurangzeb painting exhibit off after row

Aurangazeb exhibition creates flutter

(Deccan Chronicle Chennai)

Chennai, March 6: The Chennai police on Thursday detained three women associated with an art exhibition after forcing them to close down the show, where a French artist had displayed his paintings on Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. The police took Saraswathi (65), Dr.Vijayalakshmi (62) and Malathi (47) to the Thousand Lights station at around 7.30 p.m. for enquiry into charges of assisting an exhibition by French journalist Francois Gautier at Lalit Kala Akademi’s (LKA) Regional Centre on Greams Road. They were detained in the station for half-an-hour. Earlier in the day, tension prevailed on LKA premises when the police, Hindu Munnani president Rama Gopalan and Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali visited the exhibition. The visit of the police came in the wake of three letters including one from an advocate Mr Zainudeen to Lalit Kala Akademi stating that the exhibition would disturb communal harmony. The police initially suggested removal of two pictures depicting demolition of Keshava Rai temple in Mathura and that of Somnath temple by the armies of Aurangazeb. However, the organisers of the exhibition told the police that they would not remove the pictures as it violated their artistic freedom. Janata party president Ms Chandralekha rushed to the spot to express solidarity with the organisers of the exhibition. Talking to this newspaper, Ms Saraswati (65) said, “The police was rude to us. They asked us whether we were terrorists. We were detained in the station for more than half an hour and they did not allow us to contact our family.” Ms Malathi said, “The police entered the exhibition hall at 7.30 pm and threw away some paintings.” However, the police and LKA officials denied breaking any art pieces put up at the exhibition. Later in the day, two Muslim outfits Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat and Samooha Neethi Peravai protested in front of the LKA demanding that the exhibition be called off as it would disturb religious amity. FACT (Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism), an art foundation of Mr Francois Gautier, has been organizing historical art exhibitions on emperors such as Aurangazeb and Shivaji in the metropolitan cities including New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai for the last two years. Mr Francois said, “I have conducted the same exhibition at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. No one protested. It is necessary to create a dialogue between communities and put an end to the intolerant culture of Aurangazeb. Let us inculcate the cosmopolitan spirit of Dara Shkoh, the brother of Aurangazeb, who learnt Upanishads and had a dialogue with the Hindu brethren.” Ms Chandralekha said, “This is atrocious. The DMK-led government has always been against the Hindus. This incident also vindicated that.” Mr Balasubramanian, Joint Commissioner of police, said, “The exhibition is called off temporarily as a few people raised objections to the exhibits. As we feared that it might create a law and order problem, we advised the organisers to obtain permission before holding the exhibition again.” Meanwhile, artist Francois met the Joint Commissioner and said he did not have any ulterior motive in holding the exhibition and had only wanted to create an awareness on Indian history.

Aurangzeb art expo cancelled after objections

(The Statesman)

Chennai, March 6: An art exhibition on the life of the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb was today cancelled following directions from police after some Muslim individuals objected to two paintings showing demolition of temples in Somnath and Mathura on the ground that they would “disturb peace” in Tamil Nadu.
Four persons, including Mr R Saraswathi, a volunteer of the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (Fact), the organisers of the exhibition, have been detained for interrogation, a senior police official said.
“If found innocent, they would be let off,” he said.
The foundation is run by Delhi-based French journalist Francois Gautier.
Police said some Muslims, who came to the Lalith Kala Academy, the venue of the exibition, raised objections to the paintings, depicting Aurangazeb’s forces demolishing Hindu temples at Somnath and Mathura.
“They claimed that the pictures were sending wrong messages which could lead to communal hatred following which we asked Fact to cancel the exhibition,” the official said. The exhibition which opened on 3 March was scheduled to run till March 9. Earlier in the day, regional secretary of the academy Mr RM Palaniappan told reporters that he was waiting for orders from the Delhi headquarters on cancelling the show. n PTI

(Asian age)

Chennai, March 6: An art exhibition on the life of the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb was on Thursday cancelled following directions from the police after some Muslim individuals objected to two paintings showing demolition of temples in Somnath and Mathura on the ground that they would “disturb peace” in Tamil Nadu.

Four persons, including R. Saraswathi, a volunteer of the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT), the organisers of the exhibition, have been detained for interrogation, a senior police official said.

“If found innocent, they would be let off,” he said.

The foundation is run by Delhi-based French journalist Francois Gautier.

The police said some Muslims, who came to the Lalit Kala Akademi, the venue of the exhibition, raised objections to the paintings, depicting Aurangazeb’s forces demolishing Hindu temples at Somnath and Mathura.

“They claimed that the pictures were sending wrong messages which could lead to communal hatred following which we asked FACT to cancel the exhibition,” the official said.

The exhibition which opened on March 3 was scheduled to run till March 9.

Earlier in the day, regional secretary of the academy R.M. Palaniappan told reporters that he was waiting for orders from the Delhi headquarters on cancelling the show, following similar complaints on Wednesday.

However, he could not be reached for comments after the exhibition was cancelled.

The Hindu Munnani, which earlier threatened to stage a demonstration if the exhibition was cancelled, said a decision on the protest would be taken on Friday morning. (PTI)

News that National Media Censors – Muslim Vandalism in Chennai
by Singha on Mar 07, 2008 07:22 AM | Hide replies
From Sulekha
Aurangzeb art expo cancelled after objections

Chennai, March 6: An art exhibition on the life of the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb was today cancelled following directions from police after some Muslim individuals objected to two paintings showing demolition of temples in Somnath and Mathura on the ground that they would %u201Cdisturb peace%u201D in Tamil Nadu.

Four persons, including Mr R Saraswathi, a volunteer of the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (Fact), the organisers of the exhibition, have been detained for interrogation, a senior police official said.

If found innocent, they would be let off, he said.

The foundation is run by Delhi-based French journalist Francois Gautier.
Police said some Muslims, who came to the Lalith Kala Academy, the venue of the exibition, raised objections to the paintings, depicting Aurangazeb’s forces demolishing Hindu temples at Somnath and Mathura.

They claimed that the pictures were sending wrong messages which could lead to communal hatred following which we asked Fact to cancel the exhibition, the official said. The exhibition which opened on 3 March was scheduled to run till March 9. Earlier in the day, regional secretary of the academy Mr RM Palaniappan told reporters that he was waiting for orders from the Delhi headquarters on cancelling the show. n PTI

Press coverage and controversy around Aurangzeb in Chennai

Aurangzeb Exhibition thretened by the Muslim Groups in Chennai

Update: The two volunteers (female) from chennai were threatened by the state police and illegally taken into custody for 5 and half hours. Ofcourse they were later released after repeated appeals. The Additional commissioner of police Mr Murali IPS was the one acting like an agent of the miscreants and he threw down two precious paintings breaking them beyond repair (how is taking law into ones own hands justified). The right to freedom of expression I hope would not come into play here since Hindus are involved. The Exhibition as of now is indefinitely locked up and closed as is the gallery. The Aurangzeb Exhibition in Chennai was thretened and asked to close down today by the Muslim leaders of the makkal urimai kalazam. They were having problems with the way Aurangzeb was portrayed in the exhibition. While the organisers FACT India is clear and we have nothing to do with the content which is sourced from the Original Akhbarat or Court documents of Moghul courts in the archives of Museums Deprartment, Govt of India. Leaders of the Muslim group and Nawab of Arkat walked in yesterday 5th march 2008 and protested on the exhibition saying Aurangzeb was poorly depicted, and this would lead to clashes and riots. Their contention was while Aurangzeb has done lot of good things (reading quran and stitching his caps which by the way is depicted in the exhibition) nothing was said about that and only his misdeeds were portrayed. They alleged that Hindus would get angry and make disturbances so the Exhibition needs to be closed. FACT India clarifies that it is not anybody’ opinion that is depicted in the exhibition but only the History as it was from the Moghul court documents the Akhbarat. FACT India has orgnised this exhibition to bring awareness on facts as they are. And Aurangzeb and his philosophy of “I kill if you dont agree” is the fundamentalism that the world is facing, it needs to be encountered tooth and nail. The Terrorism and the ideology behind it needs to be stopped. The exhibition has travelled to New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune and is currently showing at Lalit kala Academy Chennai. The exhibition is scheduled to be in chennai from 3rd to 9th march 2008. The media was immediately there and Police intervened to secure the exhibition from miscreants. What was surprising was the media never came when invited for the inauguration of the Exhibition time and again, it was never to be seen while everything was peacful but once they smelled the disturbance all of them were there.

Aurangzeb exhibits at Lalit Kala Academy kick up row
Chennai | Thursday, Mar 6 2008 IST

Web India

An art exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi here, depicting the life history of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb has run into a controversy following opposition by some Muslim outfits to some of the portraits and Hindu organisations coming to its defence by opposing the cancellation demand. Tight police security had been deployed at the premises after Muslim organisations took up cudgels against some of the portraits claiming that it would disturb peace in the State and demanded that the expo should be canceled. Justifying the portraits, a Hindu outfit opposed any move for canceling the show contending that “only Historical facts” were on display.

The Akademy’s Regional Secretary R M Palaniappan told reporters that three people, including two Muslims had raised objections to a photo that showed demolition of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat by Muslim forces, following an order by Aurangazeb. They also submitted a written complaint that this picture could hurt the sentiments of Hindus and would result in communal hatred. The issue has been referred to the Akademi headquarters at New Delhi, he added. To a question, he said though he had enough powers to cancel the show, he was awaiting orders from the headquarters. “I cannot allow such controversies in a government building,” he added. Meanwhile, ‘Hindu Munnani’ leader Rama Gopalan visited the Akademi and said there was no distortion of facts in the pictures. He also threatened to launch an agitation if the exhibition was cancelled.

— (UNI) — 06MS42.xml

Knowing the Mughal Emperor
Thursday March 6 2008 11:31 IST

Express Features

LALIT Kala Akademi is holding an exhibition on Aurangzeb, the mighty Mughal empire’s most reviled king. Organised by the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, it contains paintings and sketches about his rule as well as farhans, original edicts by Aurangzeb, preserved at the Bikaner Museum.

When Francois Gautier, trustee, FACT, approached the museum for the original records, it was first of a kind query for the museum. “They told me nobody had touched these records in the last fifty years. I could obtain permission to use the records only after speaking to the chief minister of Rajasthan,” he says.

Aurangzeb as he was, is an initiative by Francois to tell the world what they read about Aurangazeb in textbooks wasn’t what he exactly was.

“Instead, if Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb’s elder brother and Shah Jahan’s preferred heir, had taken over the throne, the course of Mughal history and India would have been a lot different,” he explains. ‘Aurangzeb as he was’ was inaugurated in Delhi, travelled Pune and Bangalore before reaching Chennai.

Over 40 exhibits pictorally explain Aurangzeb’s macabre rule which saw the demolition of many tem ples, reinstallation of jizyah for non-muslims and incentives for conversion into Islam. Also depicted is the death of Dara Shukoli himself, as ordered by Aurangzeb.

A French journalist who has made Chennai and Puducherry his home now, Francais sees India as a great country, with a repository of wealth in certain issues.

“Take the family system for example. It is the pure genius of India. If that is lost in the country, it isn’t India at all,” he remarks.

Other Indian ideals that have caught the fancy of Francais are Ayurveda, Vedas, and spirituality. A biographer of Pandit Sri Sri Ravishankar, Francais sees an atmosphere of tolerance to others in the country. “Just that there is very little awareness about the country’s cultural importance,” he rues.

The exhibition took three years to be completed and was inaugurated by former chief vigilance commissioner N Vittal, former RAW chief B Raman and journalist S Gurumurthy.

It was inaugurated on Aurangzeb’s death anniversary (March 3) and will be on till March 9.

Press coverage and controversy around Aurangzeb in Chennai

Aurangzeb Exhibition thretened by the Muslim Groups in Chennai

Update: The two volunteers (female) from chennai were threatened by the state police and illegally taken into custody for 5 and half hours. Ofcourse they were later released after repeated appeals. The Additional commissioner of police Mr Murali IPS was the one acting like an agent of the miscreants and he threw down two precious paintings breaking them beyond repair (how is taking law into ones own hands justified). The right to freedom of expression I hope would not come into play here since Hindus are involved. The Exhibition as of now is indefinitely locked up and closed as is the gallery. The Aurangzeb Exhibition in Chennai was thretened and asked to close down today by the Muslim leaders of the makkal urimai kalazam. They were having problems with the way Aurangzeb was portrayed in the exhibition. While the organisers FACT India is clear and we have nothing to do with the content which is sourced from the Original Akhbarat or Court documents of Moghul courts in the archives of Museums Deprartment, Govt of India. Leaders of the Muslim group and Nawab of Arkat walked in yesterday 5th march 2008 and protested on the exhibition saying Aurangzeb was poorly depicted, and this would lead to clashes and riots. Their contention was while Aurangzeb has done lot of good things (reading quran and stitching his caps which by the way is depicted in the exhibition) nothing was said about that and only his misdeeds were portrayed. They alleged that Hindus would get angry and make disturbances so the Exhibition needs to be closed. FACT India clarifies that it is not anybody’ opinion that is depicted in the exhibition but only the History as it was from the Moghul court documents the Akhbarat. FACT India has orgnised this exhibition to bring awareness on facts as they are. And Aurangzeb and his philosophy of “I kill if you dont agree” is the fundamentalism that the world is facing, it needs to be encountered tooth and nail. The Terrorism and the ideology behind it needs to be stopped. The exhibition has travelled to New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune and is currently showing at Lalit kala Academy Chennai. The exhibition is scheduled to be in chennai from 3rd to 9th march 2008. The media was immediately there and Police intervened to secure the exhibition from miscreants. What was surprising was the media never came when invited for the inauguration of the Exhibition time and again, it was never to be seen while everything was peacful but once they smelled the disturbance all of them were there.

Aurangzeb exhibits at Lalit Kala Academy kick up row
Chennai | Thursday, Mar 6 2008 IST

Web India

An art exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi here, depicting the life history of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb has run into a controversy following opposition by some Muslim outfits to some of the portraits and Hindu organisations coming to its defence by opposing the cancellation demand. Tight police security had been deployed at the premises after Muslim organisations took up cudgels against some of the portraits claiming that it would disturb peace in the State and demanded that the expo should be canceled. Justifying the portraits, a Hindu outfit opposed any move for canceling the show contending that “only Historical facts” were on display.

The Akademy’s Regional Secretary R M Palaniappan told reporters that three people, including two Muslims had raised objections to a photo that showed demolition of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat by Muslim forces, following an order by Aurangazeb. They also submitted a written complaint that this picture could hurt the sentiments of Hindus and would result in communal hatred. The issue has been referred to the Akademi headquarters at New Delhi, he added. To a question, he said though he had enough powers to cancel the show, he was awaiting orders from the headquarters. “I cannot allow such controversies in a government building,” he added. Meanwhile, ‘Hindu Munnani’ leader Rama Gopalan visited the Akademi and said there was no distortion of facts in the pictures. He also threatened to launch an agitation if the exhibition was cancelled.

— (UNI) — 06MS42.xml

Knowing the Mughal Emperor
Thursday March 6 2008 11:31 IST

Express Features

LALIT Kala Akademi is holding an exhibition on Aurangzeb, the mighty Mughal empire’s most reviled king. Organised by the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, it contains paintings and sketches about his rule as well as farhans, original edicts by Aurangzeb, preserved at the Bikaner Museum.

When Francois Gautier, trustee, FACT, approached the museum for the original records, it was first of a kind query for the museum. “They told me nobody had touched these records in the last fifty years. I could obtain permission to use the records only after speaking to the chief minister of Rajasthan,” he says.

Aurangzeb as he was, is an initiative by Francois to tell the world what they read about Aurangazeb in textbooks wasn’t what he exactly was.

“Instead, if Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb’s elder brother and Shah Jahan’s preferred heir, had taken over the throne, the course of Mughal history and India would have been a lot different,” he explains. ‘Aurangzeb as he was’ was inaugurated in Delhi, travelled Pune and Bangalore before reaching Chennai.

Over 40 exhibits pictorally explain Aurangzeb’s macabre rule which saw the demolition of many tem ples, reinstallation of jizyah for non-muslims and incentives for conversion into Islam. Also depicted is the death of Dara Shukoli himself, as ordered by Aurangzeb.

A French journalist who has made Chennai and Puducherry his home now, Francais sees India as a great country, with a repository of wealth in certain issues.

“Take the family system for example. It is the pure genius of India. If that is lost in the country, it isn’t India at all,” he remarks.

Other Indian ideals that have caught the fancy of Francais are Ayurveda, Vedas, and spirituality. A biographer of Pandit Sri Sri Ravishankar, Francais sees an atmosphere of tolerance to others in the country. “Just that there is very little awareness about the country’s cultural importance,” he rues.

The exhibition took three years to be completed and was inaugurated by former chief vigilance commissioner N Vittal, former RAW chief B Raman and journalist S Gurumurthy.

It was inaugurated on Aurangzeb’s death anniversary (March 3) and will be on till March 9.

FACT exhibition in Chennai: Aurangazeb as he was according to Moghul records