New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Raihan Vadra, son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, on Thursday said that any curtailment of freedom of expression and art was wrong, alleging that Bikaner House management had asked him to remove photographs depicting youth movements in Delhi from his exhibition, ‘No Idea Is Final’, just hours ahead of its scheduled opening.
Speaking to ANI, Raihan said the exhibition was scheduled to open at 7 pm on Thursday, but the management first approached him 24 hours earlier and told him that some of the images were against its policy.
"I said let me know which ones, let's have a discussion," he said.
He said he did not hear back from the management until the following day, around noon, when the Deputy Resident Commissioner asked him to remove the photographs, which depicted youth movements in Delhi over the past year.
"I said that I shared the layout a week earlier. Why didn't you bring it up earlier? They said we couldn't see the layout. So I said, you still had one week to tell me you couldn't see the layout, I would have sent it. We could have had this discussion earlier. Now in four or five hours, what am I going to do?" Raihan told ANI.
He said he asked the management to provide written explanations for removing the photographs but was not given specific reasons. At around 3 pm, the Principal Resident Commissioner also approached him and raised the same concerns, Raihan said. He added that he had already removed most images of political parties and political leaders and was willing to replace any photographs that violated the venue's policy.
"I told the head of Bikaner House, the principal resident commissioner that your policy says political content. For the most part, I had removed imagery of political parties and of political leaders. Maybe there were a few photographs. I said that we can discuss. If they are against your policy, I'll replace them. They said no. None of these 70 images will be put up," he said.
Raihan said the management issued a notice at around 3.30 pm, stating that if the photographs were not removed by 4 pm, the building would be sealed by 5 pm and the exhibition cancelled. He said his team initially turned the framed photographs around so that only the backs of the frames were visible, but the management objected to that arrangement as well. The photographs were subsequently removed and placed in storage.
Raihan also alleged that the management objected to two photographs featuring the Indian national flag. He said he asked for a written explanation for their removal but did not receive one.
"I don't know if there was any pressure or anything from anywhere else. I know that it was the management here that decided to, take that decision," he added.
Raihan said he was unsure whether the decision had been taken with a political motive, but added that his family background gave him an opportunity to take a stand as an artist. He said public institutions such as Bikaner House along with major art fairs, had a responsibility towards artists, galleries and curators.
"Those people have to be responsible and they cannot put a curb on our freedoms of expression as artists. just because it doesn't suit them. You know, tomorrow if there are different people in charge here and they remove something, it's wrong," he said.
"Any curtailment of remunerative expression and art is wrong. any form of censorship is wrong" Raihan added.
Raihan's mother, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had earlier sent a subtle message to the government as she backed her son.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "@raihanrvadra. 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. You stand for what is true and everything beautiful will find its way to you. I am proud of you, always will be."
Her husband Robert Vadra had also shared the post by his son which had alleged that the establishment had asked him to removed photographs of the Delhi Protests from his exhibition. For now, Raihan's exhibition will continue in a limited manner with it scheduled to be held in Bengaluru next month. (ANI)
The exhibition, titled ‘No Idea Is Final’, was scheduled to open at 7 pm on Thursday. Raihan said the exhibition would continue in a limited capacity for the time being, with the next showing scheduled to take place in Bengaluru next month. (ANI)
"Any form of censorship wrong": Raihan Vadra stands firm, says Bikaner House "can't curb freedom of expression"
