Bhopal, Apr 24: Reacting sharply to the state government's decision to dissolve the Bharat Bhawan Trust, Congress State Election Committee chairman and former culture minister Ajay Singh has termed the move as unfortunate and said it was a severe blow to the independence of literature and culture. The day of notification will be remembered as ''lack Day'' for fine arts, he said.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Ajay Singh said the Bharat Bhawan Trust was set up to protect the literature and culture. Bharat Bhawan with its activities had created a strong identity of culture and literature in the national and international arena. The present BJP government during its four year rule has been playing with the trust, he said.

The former minister said that Bharat Bhawan is a place of art and culture. Its roots are very strong. Renowned national and international artists had taken part in its activities. On the other hand, the state-level folk arts and artists were helped to perform at national and international level. It is unfortunate that these days the local performers were given more importance than the artists of the Bharat Bhawan were, he said.

Objecting to the notification of dissolving the Bharat Bhawan Trust, Ajay Singh revealed that the BJP wanted to thrust upon the artists, intelligentsia and the litterateurs the ideology of the party.