Censorship Row at Bikaner House: Raihan Vadra Forced to Remove Exhibition Photos
New Delhi: An art exhibition curated by Raihan Vadra, son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, faced unexpected administrative intervention at the government-run Bikaner House on Wednesday. Just hours before the opening of his show, titled ‘No Idea Is Final’, venue management compelled the artist to remove 74 out of his 105 featured photographs, citing “objectionable” content.
The exhibition, hosted at the Centre for Contemporary Art, was intended to serve as a visual documentary of the recent youth protests unfolding across the national capital. Raihan Vadra stated that the works aimed to capture the essence and collective spirit of the ongoing movements. However, the documentation of these political demonstrations led to a direct conflict with the venue authorities.
A “Chilling Metaphor” for Censorship
The artist revealed that he was issued a formal notice by the Deputy Resident Commissioner, Manoj Singh, at 3:30 pm—mere hours before the public launch. The written request claimed that the display violated the venue’s booking policy. Prior to the notice, the Principal Resident Commissioner, Rohit Kumar, had reportedly pressured the artist to pull the works, suggesting that both the timing and context of the exhibition were inappropriate.
The situation escalated when authorities demanded the removal of 75 images, including two featuring the Indian national flag. Despite the artist’s resistance, staff members removed one of the images of the Tricolour while the artist was away from the premises.
The Congress party has condemned the action as a display of intolerance by the state-run institution. Senior party leader and MP Pawan Khera took to social media to denounce the move, describing the bare walls left behind—marked only by exposed iron nails—as a “chilling metaphor for censorship.”
“When even the Tricolour isn’t safe from the censor’s scissors, perhaps the problem isn’t the art, it’s the regime,” Khera wrote. He argued that the images were neither derogatory nor inflammatory, but were instead targeted simply because they captured the reality of public dissent.
Disputes Over Approval Processes
Regarding the claim of policy violations, Raihan Vadra asserted that there was no prior requirement for his work to undergo vetting. He noted that he had submitted a layout of the exhibition on October 15, which management acknowledged without raising any objections or requesting a full catalogue.
While the management of Bikaner House has remained silent on the controversy and did not respond to media inquiries, sources suggested the removal was a preemptive measure to avoid a wider political backlash.
When asked if his familial ties to the Congress leadership influenced the crackdown, the artist suggested it was a possibility. However, he emphasized that the core issue remains the preservation of creative freedom in public spaces. “Nobody’s work should be curtailed,” he maintained.
The exhibition, which continues to run at Bikaner House until October 25, is now missing more than half of its intended content. Raihan Vadra has expressed his intention to display the removed photographs at a different venue in the future.
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