Artists in Chennai are unhappy that Loyola College has apologised for display of satirical paintings on contemporary issues on campus. On January 21, the Catholic minority institution now at the centre of a controversy over art works put up by a cultural group not from the college had apologised after right wing Hindu groups alleged that some of the paintings hurt Hindu sentiments.

“We acknowledge our lapse and apologise for insurmountable hurt. The venue for a cultural event was misused. We’ve immediately removed the exhibits. We are pained our pluralistic campus was used for derogative exhibits. We do not advocate anything tantamount to peace and tranquility of society,” the college said in a statement.

Cartoonist Bala, who was arrested in 2017 for a caricature of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palani swami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, says stifling freedom of expression has become the norm in Tamil Nadu.

“The college should not have apologised. It was not their work in the first place. I find nothing wrong with those paintings. It’s an expression of a cartoonist’s view. Whether the idea is right or wrong an artist should have the right to express,” he said.

Recently, Lois Sophia, a woman researcher was arrested for criticising the state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan.

The ruling AIADMK had also banned Kamal Haasan’s certified film Vishwaroopam till legal intervention.

Similarly, Actor Vijay’s films Mersel and Sarkar too faced heat from BJP and AIADMK for taking on Centre’s GST and state’s freebies.