NEW DELHI, October 22: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday criticised the alleged removal of photographs from her son Raihan Vadra’s exhibition at Bikaner House in New Delhi, saying that those in power lose their strength when they become afraid of others expressing themselves.
Raihan Vadra, an artist and photographer and the son of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra, alleged on Wednesday that the Bikaner House administration removed several photographs documenting recent protests in Delhi ahead of his solo exhibition, titled “No Idea Is Final.” The exhibition was previewed on Wednesday and is scheduled to open on Thursday.
Reacting to the controversy, Priyanka Gandhi took an indirect swipe at the government while expressing support for her son. She said that when people in power fear another person’s expression, they may have already lost the very power they seek to protect.
In a message to Raihan, she added that she was proud of him and encouraged him to stand by what he believed was true.
Raihan claimed that the organisers were informed at around 3:30 pm that the photographs had to be removed by 5 pm or the exhibition would be cancelled. According to him, the administration cited the prevailing political climate as a reason for not displaying the images.
He maintained that the photographs did not promote any political message but documented protests that had taken place over the previous six months. He also expressed concern that a photograph featuring the Indian national flag had been removed.
Raihan said he had submitted the exhibition’s proposal and layout to the Bikaner House management well in advance. He argued that art cannot be separated from politics and questioned the decision to restrict the display of the photographs.
Priyanka Gandhi described the incident as an attempt to silence young voices, warning that similar restrictions could affect other artists in the future.
Meanwhile, a Bikaner House official declined to comment on the controversy.
