Photographer and artist Raihan Vadra, whose parents are Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, alleged that Bikaner House management ordered removal of over 70 pictures just hours before the opening preview of his solo exhibition on Wednesday.
Short notice : The management objected to some works less than 24 hours before the opening of the exhibition, which required removal of almost half of the prepared works.
The exhibition named “No Idea is Final” will open for everyone on Thursday and will include wildlife, abstracts, and street photos of various public movements in India. Management gave an ultimatum on Wednesday afternoon, threatening cancellation of the entire event if certain protest photos were not taken down, according to Vadra.
Visual effect : The removal of the 74 pictures created outlines of nails on the first floor gallery wall, where Vadra put copies of the Preamble of the Constitution. The exhibition continues through Sunday with roughly 40 remaining artworks on display. Previous submission : Vadra stressed that all layout and submission plans had been discussed and approved by Bikaner House management way ahead of the event. “As an Indian artist, it is my responsibility to document what is happening. The images carried no political message; they simply recorded protests over the last six months. Even a photo depicting the Indian flag was removed,” Vadra remarked, noting that officials claimed current political sensitivities made the timing inappropriate. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raihan (@raihanrvadra) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the removal of her son’s photographs absurd, describing it as part of a broader trend of suppressing creative expression. She noted that the images contained no commentary or partisan slogans, serving strictly as a visual record of youth-led public movements. Meanwhile, Bikaner House representatives declined to comment on the record regarding the decision, stating they were not authorized to speak to the press.
