Raihan Vadra alleges Bikaner House officials objected to protest photos, including those of Tricolour
NEW DELHI: Artist and photographer Raihan Vadra, son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, has detailed his interactions with Bikaner House officials over the removal of photographs depicting youth protests in Delhi from his exhibition, alleging that the administration gave him only a few hours to comply with its objections.Speaking about the controversy, Raihan said his solo exhibition, titled No Idea Is Fine, was scheduled to open at 7 pm, but the venue's management raised objections to some of the photographs shortly before the event.He alleged that officials subsequently insisted that all 70 images be removed, including photographs featuring the Indian national flag.Speaking to news agency ANI, Raihan said the Bikaner House management first contacted him 24 hours before the scheduled opening and told him that some images violated its policy.
He said he asked the officials to identify the photographs and discuss their objections, but did not receive a response until the following day.He said the deputy resident commissioner later contacted him and instructed him to remove the photographs, which documented youth movements in Delhi over the preceding year.“I said, 'I shared the layout a week earlier; why didn't you bring it up earlier?' They said, 'We couldn't see the layout.'
So I said, 'You still had 1 week to tell me you couldn't see the layout. I would have sent it; we could have had the discussion earlier. Now, in 4-5 hours, what am I going to do?'” Raihan said.
Officials allegedly refused to provide written explanation
Raihan said he asked the management to provide written explanations for the removal of individual photographs but did not receive them.He said the principal resident commissioner subsequently visited the exhibition at around 3 pm and reiterated the objections.
According to Raihan, the official cited the venue's policy against political content.Raihan said he had already removed most photographs featuring political parties and leaders and was willing to replace any remaining images that violated the policy.“For the most part, I had removed imagery of political parties and of political leaders. Maybe there were a few photographs; I said, 'We could discuss. If they are against your policy, I'll replace them.'
He said, 'No, none of these 70 images will be put up,'” he said.According to Raihan, the management issued a notice at 3.30 pm warning that the building would be sealed and the exhibition cancelled if the photographs were not removed by 5 pm.He said he initially complied by turning the framed photographs around so that only their backs were visible. However, he alleged that officials objected to this arrangement as well, prompting him to take the frames down and move them into storage.
Dispute over photographs of the Tricolour
Raihan said he left two photographs featuring the Indian flag on display, arguing that they could not reasonably violate the venue's policy. He alleged that officials asked him to remove them but did not provide a written order when he requested one.“I said, 'This can't be against your policy. How can it be against your policy?' I said, 'Give it to me in writing that you want me to take down a picture of the Indian flag.' They didn't,” he said.Raihan added that he left the venue to change clothes and that officials removed one of the two photographs themselves. One image of the national flag remained on display, he said.In an earlier statement, Raihan had said he would not remove the photographs featuring the Tricolour and that the exhibition would proceed in a limited capacity while he looked for an alternative venue to display the complete collection.The controversy drew reactions from members of the Congress. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra backed her son in a post on X, writing, “When someone with power becomes afraid of the expression of another, he doesn’t know it, but he has already lost the very power he is trying to protect. You stand for what is true and everything beautiful will find its way to you. I am proud of you, always will be.”
Robert Vadra also shared his son's statement, while Congress MP Karti Chidambaram criticised the Bikaner House administration's conduct.Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera alleged that the removal of the photographs amounted to censorship.In a post on X, he said the works documented protests and questioned why images of demonstrations, including the national flag, had become objectionable.The exhibition, No Idea Is Fine, was scheduled to open at Bikaner House on Thursday evening.