Raihan Vadra photo row begs question: Who gets to censor art?

Congress leaders have criticised the removal of photographs documenting protests from an exhibition by photographer Raihan Vadra at Bikaner House in New Delhi, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accusing those in power of attempting to silence young people.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot calling the move an attack on democracy.

Priyanka, Raihan’s mother and a Congress MP, described the decision as “ridiculous” and said it amounted to muzzling the voices of young people.

“It’s not a democracy anymore,” she said, reacting to the removal of the photographs from the exhibition titled No Idea is Final.

In a post on X, Priyanka wrote: “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.”

She added: “You stand for what is true and everything beautiful will find its way to you. I am proud of you, always will be.”

Raihan’s father, businessman Robert Vadra, also backed his son and shared his account of the incident, criticising the last-minute intervention.

Gehlot targeted the BJP government in Rajasthan, pointing out that Bikaner House is a property of the state government. He described the removal as censorship and “a direct attack on democracy”, and asked the state government to explain why the photographs had been taken down.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also criticised the decision, arguing that photographs documenting demonstrations should not be treated as objectionable merely because they depict protests. He characterised the move as an attempt to suppress inconvenient truths.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram described the conduct of the Bikaner House establishment as “absolutely churlish & obtuse”.

The controversy followed Raihan’s allegation that the Bikaner House administration had objected to the political nature of some photographs in the exhibition. He said he was told on the afternoon of the exhibition that the pictures had to be removed by 5 pm or the show would be cancelled.

More than 70 photographs documenting protests over six months were reportedly taken down, while around 40 photographs remained on display. Raihan said the exhibition also included wildlife, abstract and street photography, and that the work was not intended to convey a political message.

He also said a photograph featuring the Indian flag was among those removed.

A Bikaner House official told PTI that they were not authorised to comment. No substantive public explanation from the Rajasthan government for the removal of the photographs was available at the time of reporting.

The exhibition is scheduled to continue through Sunday.