Artist MF Husain passes away at 95

Maqbool Fida Husain, the celebrated painter, died of a heart attack ar Royal Brompton Hospital in London at 2.30 am local time. He was 95 years old.

He was in a self-imposed exile since 2006 after Hindu groups threatened him for his paintings of Hindu deities which were interpreted as anti India. The paintings were originally painted in 1970s and in 1996 a controversy raged against the artist for depicting Hindu godesses in an allegedly 'sexual manner'.

Husain had been living in Qatar since 2006 and accepted the citizenship of the country in 2010.

In 1955, he was awarded the Padma Shree prize by the Government of India. He has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1991. In addition, Husain nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.

MF Husain was the highest paid painter in India in the 1990s. Forbes magazine had given him the title of 'Picasso of India'.