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Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, on Thursday, October 22, offered to host artist and photographer Raihan Vadra’s exhibition, No Idea Is Final, without any exclusions, following a controversy over the removal of 74 photographs from the exhibition at Delhi’s Bikaner House.
“Kerala would be happy and proud to host Raihan Vadra’s ‘No Idea Is Final’ exhibition in its entirety. No exclusions, no exceptions,” Satheesan said.
The invitation came after photographs documenting youth protests in Delhi were removed from Raihan’s solo exhibition shortly before it was scheduled to open on Wednesday evening. Raihan, the son of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, said he would display the complete collection at another venue.
According to reports, 105 photographs had been prepared for the exhibition, of which 74 were removed. Many of the photographs depicted student and youth protests in the national capital, including demonstrations involving Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Raihan also alleged that photographs featuring the Indian national flag were among those objected to by the venue’s management.
The communication asking Raihan to remove or replace the photographs reached him at around 3.30 pm on Wednesday and gave him 30 minutes to comply. Raihan said the management had raised concerns about some images a day before the exhibition but had not provided specific explanations for the proposed removals despite his requests.
Raihan had also said that he shared the exhibition proposal and layout with Bikaner House management in advance. He maintained that the photographs documented protests over the preceding six months and did not carry political messages.
“I was shocked to see that they also wanted me to remove images of the Indian flag,” Raihan said. He also alleged that the management objected to two photographs featuring the national flag.
The Bikaner House Management Society defended the decision, saying the photographs identified for removal were inconsistent with its policy governing exhibitions at the venue.
The society said, “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 added: “The photographs that are consistent with the Society’s policy have continued to be displayed.”
Bikaner House officials also said the venue’s exhibitions were intended to focus on culture and wildlife, and that the photographs in question carried political messaging rather than falling within either category.
The exhibition has continued with the remaining works on display. The surviving collection includes wildlife photographs, abstract works and some images from protests. The exhibition is divided into four sections titled ‘Breathe’, ‘Move’, ‘Listen’ and ‘Speak’ and is scheduled to remain open until October 25.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra publicly supported her son following the controversy, criticising what she described as an attempt to suppress artistic expression.
“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 wrote in a social media post.
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.”
The Congress also criticised the removal of the photographs, alleging that the episode reflected an attempt to silence young voices and restrict freedom of expression.
Other opposition leaders expressed support for Raihan. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray praised him for standing up for the photographs featuring the national flag, while NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule said the incident raised serious questions about artistic freedom.
Congress leader Pawan Khera also accused the government of being unwilling to confront inconvenient truths.
The BJP criticised the Congress over the controversy, with party spokespersons arguing that Bikaner House’s policy did not permit political content in exhibitions at the venue.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the Congress of attempting to introduce Raihan into politics. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari termed the allegations “fake news” and urged Priyanka Gandhi to find another way to “launch” her son into politics.
