BJP says 'there are other ways to launch Raihan Vadra' in dig at Priyanka Gandhi; Congress alleges attack on artistic freedom

The controversy over the removal of photographs from photographer Raihan Vadra's exhibition at Bikaner House escalated on Thursday, with BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari taking a swipe at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while the Congress accused the government of restricting artistic expression. Bhandari, in a post on X, criticised the exhibition and referred to Raihan, the son of Priyanka Gandhi and businessman Robert Vadra, as he questioned the circumstances surrounding the launch. "There other ways of launching your son Priyanka Ji," Bhandari wrote. He added that Bikaner House's guidelines prohibited political content in artwork, asserting: "Country is governed by rule of law, not rule of Parivar!" The remarks came amid a dispute over photographs depicting protests and youth movements in Delhi that Raihan said the venue's administration had asked him to remove ahead of the opening of his solo exhibition, titled No Idea Is Final. Bikaner House cites policy on political content The Bikaner House Management Society said on Thursday that it had requested the removal of certain photographs after determining that they did not comply with its policies. The remaining photographs continued to be exhibited, the society said in a statement. "Certain photographs displayed as part of Mr Raihan Vadra's exhibition, No Idea Is Final', at Bikaner House were found to be inconsistent with the policy of the Bikaner House Management Society. Accordingly, their removal was requested," it said. The society described itself as a public cultural institution committed to promoting art and culture, adding that exhibitions and related activities must adhere to its prescribed rules. The venue's booking policy explicitly states that artworks, including paintings, sculptures, installations and other exhibits, must not contain nudity, communal themes or political content. It further says that such exhibits will be removed immediately and that organisers violating the guidelines may have their events cancelled without a refund. The document also requires installation and dismantling plans to be submitted for approval at least one week before an event. Only approved installation plans can be executed, and the management can halt unapproved installations at the last minute. Raihan questions timing of objection Raihan alleged that the management objected to photographs depicting youth movements in Delhi over the past year, including two images featuring the Indian Tricolour. Speaking to ANI, he said the administration had approached him around 24 hours before the scheduled opening and informed him that some images violated its policy. He said he had submitted the exhibition's layout a week earlier but was told that the management had not seen it. According to Raihan, the Deputy Resident Commissioner subsequently asked him to remove the photographs around noon on the day before the exhibition opened. "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 maintained that restrictions on freedom of expression and artistic freedom were wrong, questioning why the objections had surfaced so close to the exhibition's opening. The exhibition was previewed on Wednesday and opened to visitors on Thursday. Congress alleges suppression of artistic expression Priyanka Gandhi described the action as "ridiculous" and accused the authorities of "muzzling" the voices of young people across the country. "Today it's him, tomorrow it'll be another artist," she told PTI. In a message tagging her son, the Congress leader also criticised the exercise of power against artistic expression, writing: "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". Addressing Raihan, 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." Congress leader Pawan Khera also questioned the government's position on artistic freedom, arguing that artists should be able to communicate their ideas through their work. "Raihan Vadra is an artist. We can't understand why this government is against the expression of art by an artist. Every day we see examples of how this government is against the youth voicing their opinions using different mediums, including art," Khera told ANI.