Dubai: Raihan Vadra, son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has alleged that Bikaner House management in New Delhi asked him to remove several photographs documenting youth protests from his exhibition, No Idea Is Final, shortly before its scheduled opening.
The exhibition initially featured more than 100 artworks. Raihan alleged that they removed more than 70 photographs, leaving around 40 on display and two rooms on the first floor of Bikaner House’s Contemporary Art Gallery (CCA) building largely bare. His mother, Priyanka Gandhi, condemned the reported move, saying, “It’s not a democracy anymore.”
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Raihan said the management objected to the photographs' content, describing it as “objectionable”. He also claimed that he was asked to remove two photographs featuring the Indian national flag.
“I will not take down a picture of the Indian flag,” he wrote, adding that the exhibition would continue with the remaining artworks. He said he was considering finding another venue to display the complete collection of protest photographs.
According to a report by news agency ANI, Raihan said he was told at 3.30 pm that he had to remove the photographs by 5 pm or the exhibition would be cancelled. He said the management had been given details of the exhibition and its layout in advance.
The exhibition, titled No Idea Is Final, features wildlife photography, abstract works and street photographs documenting youth movements and protests in India. The show was scheduled to open on Wednesday and run until October 25.
Congress leaders react
Congress leaders criticised the reported removal of the photographs.
Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress media and publicity department, questioned the decision, saying the photographs documented protests and asking why they had been considered objectionable.
In a social media post, Khera claimed that 74 artworks, nearly half the exhibition, had been removed because they were considered political. He also criticised the reported objections to the photographs of the national flag.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also criticised the Bikaner House administration, describing its behaviour as “obtuse” and “churlish” in a post on X.
The Indian Youth Congress Legal Cell also weighed in, posting that photographs could be censored but not the truth.
Exhibition to continue
Raihan has said the exhibition will proceed with the works that remain on display while he explores options to show the removed photographs elsewhere.
Bikaner House management had not issued a public response to the allegations at the time of reporting.
The dispute has drawn attention to the removal of protest-documenting photographs from the exhibition shortly before its opening, with Raihan and Congress leaders questioning the decision.
With inputs from IANS