VAG row: Minister Priyank Kharge falls back on legal route

Bengaluru: The fate of Venkatappa Art Gallery continues to be in limbo with the new tourism minister Priyank Kharge admitting he will have to examine the legal options, if the Tasveer Foundation chooses to opt out of the PPP agreement that the foundation and the department had arrived at  before a section of artists in the city, launched their protests against the move.

Kharge said they expected to reach a decision in two weeks. "We still have to judge the implications involved. We're sending the matter out for legal counsel on Monday, and we can only hope to reach a decision by the next two weeks," he said.

Mr. Kharge met with the VAG Forum earlier this week and spoke to the artists involved regarding their concerns on the gallery being run by a private body.

The issue over the adoption of the gallery by the Foundation spiraled into a major controversy in July 2015 when Mr. R.V Deshpande, who was the Tourism minister at the time, put forth the proposal of singing a MoU with the Tasveer Foundation regarding the management of Venkatesh Art Gallery, citing inadequate funds and lack of modernization.

The Department of Kannada and Culture was also a member of the proposed MoU. Artists were opposed to the idea of a private entity taking over the gallery, citing fears of a loss of freedom, commercialization of their art, their resentment taking the form of street protests.