‘Immense pressure on Raihan to remove photos’: father Robert Vadra

New Delhi: Businessman Robert Vadra has alleged that pressure was mounted on his son, photographer Raihan Vadra, to remove photographs documenting Delhi’s youth-led protests from his solo exhibition at Bikaner House. He alleged that officials intervened only hours before the scheduled opening, despite having received the exhibition material a week earlier, The Times of India reported.

Robert said the intervention occurred despite the exhibition material having been submitted to the Bikaner House authorities a week in advance. He alleged that officials initially raised no objections, allowing Raihan and his team to invest considerable time in preparing the displays before demanding their removal.

According to Robert, Raihan offered to take down only the photographs considered controversial. However, the authorities reportedly insisted that all 75 displays be removed, leaving him to proceed with whatever material remained. Robert praised his son for continuing with the exhibition despite the last-minute setback.

Titled No Idea Is Final, the exhibition featured photographs Raihan captured while documenting demonstrations in the national capital. Robert said his son had taken up the subject after witnessing the protests and considering the concerns of young people involved.

The episode has raised questions about the space available for artistic expression and whether political sensitivities influenced the decision. Robert argued that creative work should not be subjected to political considerations.

Bikaner House, which operates under the Rajasthan government, defended the decision, claiming that certain photographs did not align with its stated focus on culture and wildlife and contained political messaging.

The dispute has placed the removal of protest-related images at the centre of a wider debate over artistic freedom and institutional restrictions on politically sensitive work.