Raihan Vadra alleges that 70 photographs were barred from display hours before the exhibition opened. (Images: X)
New Delhi: Bikaner House Management Society has defended its decision to remove several photographs from Raihan Vadra’s exhibition, 'No Idea Is Final', saying the images did not align with the venue’s policy. The move came hours before the exhibition’s scheduled opening in New Delhi on Thursday, sparking questions after Vadra alleged that photographs depicting youth movements in the capital had been singled out.
In a statement, the Bikaner House Management Society described the venue as a public cultural institution committed to promoting art and culture. It said exhibitions hosted at the premises must adhere to the society’s management policy. The society said certain photographs displayed as part of Vadra’s exhibition were found to be inconsistent with its policy, prompting a request for their removal. It added that the remaining photographs deemed consistent with the policy continued to be displayed.
The statement followed allegations by Vadra, the son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, who said the management intervened shortly before the exhibition was due to open at 7 pm.
Vadra said the management had initially raised concerns about some photographs around 24 hours before the opening. He claimed he had asked officials to identify the images in question so that the matter could be discussed. However, according to Vadra the issue was raised again on Thursday afternoon, leaving him with only a few hours to respond before the scheduled opening.
Vadra also questioned the timing of the intervention, claiming that he had shared the exhibition layout with the management a week earlier. He said he had sought written explanations for the proposed removals, but had not received specific reasons for the decision.
According to Vadra, the management ultimately insisted that 70 photographs in question should not be displayed. He said his team initially turned the framed photographs around before the images were taken down and placed in storage. Vadra further alleged that two photographs featuring the Indian national flag had also drawn objections. The management’s public statement, however, did not specify which photographs were considered inconsistent with its policy or separately address the allegation concerning the flag images.
Vadra said he could not determine whether any external pressure had influenced the decision. He maintained that the decision to remove the photographs had been taken by the venue’s management. The society in its statement, cited its own policy as the reason for requesting the removal of certain images.
The differing accounts have brought the dispute over the exhibition into focus, with questions remaining about the specific photographs involved and the grounds on which they were excluded.
