An artist from Kerala, a state in the southern part of India, has filed a police complaint after her home was pelted with stones by unidentified people protesting against her paintings on Kathua rape.
Durga Malathi's paintings, which were shared on Facebook, were criticised by many for its depiction of Hinduism and Hindu symbols. However, Malathi says that her paintings depict her outrage over the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old child in Kathua and that they are in no way related to religion.
In a Facebook post on Friday (20), Malathi said she has been receiving death threats for her paintings.
“What wrong have I done?" she questioned. "I painted pictures of the men who raped a small child. I had to undergo the ignominy of repeating several times through posts and Facebook live that the paintings were not against any religion. I am constantly having to remind myself that I live in a democratic country. If I don’t get justice, I will have to believe that democracy was a big lie.”
She also said that the silence from people proved there were many who believe she deserved the criticism and abuse.
The Kathua rape has created a lot of furor not just in India, but among Indians abroad as well. Reacting to the numerous rape cases that have surfaced recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said "rape is rape" and it should not be politicised.
"When a child is raped... we cannot compare these incidents in numbers for different governments. Rape is rape... How can we accept this?" PM Modi asked on Wednesday.
"Every time in our country... it is always the woman who is questioned. The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son... The rape of a (daughter) is a matter of worry, a shame for the country," Modi said during an interaction with the Indian community at London's iconic Central Hall Westminster.
Modi is currently in the UK for a four-day visit and shortly after his arrival the PM was met by hundreds of protesters who demanded justice for the eight-year-old girl from a nomadic Muslim community in Kathua.
PM Modi had last week said no criminal will be spared and that justice will be done.
Keir Starmer (R) and Narendra Modi have a cup of tea during a business showcase event at Chequers, in Aylesbury, England, on July 24, 2025. (Photo by KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
