Bikaner House removes protest photographs from Raihan Vadra exhibition

Bikaner House in New Delhi asked visual artist Raihan Rajiv Vadra to remove or replace 74 of 105 photographs shortly before his exhibition, *No Idea Is Final*, opened Wednesday evening.

Many of the removed works documented recent student and youth protests in Delhi. Vadra, the son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, said he received a written objection at 3:30 p.m. and was given 30 minutes to comply. He said officials described the photographs as overtly political and told him their timing and context were inappropriate.

Vadra’s team initially replaced the photographs with blank frames, but he said the venue also objected to those. About 35 works remained by the opening, including wildlife, abstract and concert photography, along with some protest images. The exhibition is scheduled to run through October 25.

The Bikaner House Management Society said Thursday that certain photographs were removed because they were “inconsistent” with its policy, while works complying with the policy remained on display. It did not identify the specific policy violations.

Vadra said he had previously removed images containing political slogans to comply with the venue’s restrictions on political content. He also alleged that management sought the removal of photographs showing the Indian flag; he refused to remove them himself and said one was later taken down in his absence.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra publicly supported her son, while Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Ashok Gehlot criticized the removals as censorship. Vadra said he plans to find another venue to display the full collection.