``The touch of obscenity in Husain's paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses is un-Islamic, un-constitutional and immoral,'' Dr Mahmood said in a statement here.

He said, ``there was nothing in the Muslim religion which could justify such indecent art hurting religious sentiments. Nor is such unbridled freedom of expression sanctioned by the constitution and the law of India.''

He said the painter must respect dictates of the Indian laws and Islamic injunctions which enjoin Muslims never to denigrade in any manner gods and goddesses worshipped by others.

``His action may have been unintentional and inadvertent. But he must must take corrective measures,'' Dr Mahmood said.

Husain's house in Mumbai was recently ransacked allegedly by some Bajrang Dal activists angry over his painting of Sita.

Meanwhile, in a rare show of solidarity, Indianwriters, artists, journalists, academicians, intellectuals and photographers today issued a strongly-worded statement against the ``vicious assault on the home of Husain''. They also condemned the comments made by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray supporting the act. ``The increasing attack on the arts and the artists and invasion of their privacy shows the brazen confidence these forces have recently acquired,'' the joint statement recorded.

VHP complaint
RAJKOT: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad here has filed a criminal complaint against internationally renowned painter M F Husain and an organiser of the New Delhi-based art gallery for allegedly attempting to hurt religious feelings and disrupt social harmony.

In the complaint filed on Monday, former VHP city unit secretary Lalit Vaderia has requested the police commissioner to register a case against the painter, who, he alleged, was often trying to create controversies by painting nude pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses.

It was anapparent defamatory act with an intention to hurt Hindu beliefs which would lead to riots between the two leading communities and disrupt social harmony, he said.