'Lot of pressure on him, happened in just 2 hrs': Robert Vadra on son Raihan’s Bikaner exhibition row

NEW DELHI: Businessman Robert Vadra has alleged that pressure was exerted on his son, artist and photographer Raihan Vadra, to remove photographs documenting recent protests in Delhi from his solo exhibition at Bikaner House, with the intervention coming just hours before the scheduled opening.Calling the episode shocking, Robert said the authorities had received the exhibition’s PDF a week in advance and had raised no objections until the final hours. He also praised Raihan for proceeding with the exhibition despite the removal of several photographs.“There was a lot of pressure on him to remove everything, and this happened just two hours before the opening of his exhibition. It was shocking because the authorities had received the PDF file a week in advance and had been informed about the exhibition,” Robert said.He said setting up an exhibition required considerable effort and that officials had visited the venue, seen the displays and raised no objections initially. However, the situation changed shortly before the opening, he alleged, without any explanation.“Despite this, I think he was brave enough to go ahead with the exhibition using whatever remained. As I said, I am proud of him. Everyone who had been invited attended the exhibition because this is also his profession,” he said.

‘All 75 had to be taken down’

In a separate statement, Robert said Raihan had worked hard on the exhibition, which drew on photographs he took while documenting protests in the national capital.“I am very proud of my son, Raihan, for the hard work he puts in every time he takes up a subject that is relevant to what is happening around him,” he said.Robert said Raihan had attended the protests, keeping his friends in mind and considering the support students needed. He carried his camera to the demonstrations, captured photographs and expressions, and later decided to organise an exhibition on the subject.According to Robert, Raihan submitted a PDF of the proposed exhibition to Bikaner House officials about a week before the event. He alleged that the authorities did not raise concerns about the material at the time.However, in the final 24 hours, after Raihan and his team had spent considerable time setting up the exhibition, officials arrived to review the displays, Robert said. The commissioner of Bikaner House subsequently told them that certain displays would have to be removed.“When Raihan asked how many displays were an issue and offered to remove any that were considered controversial, he was told that all 75 had to be taken down,” Robert alleged.

‘No point in mixing politics with the creative world’

Robert also questioned the decision to remove the photographs, saying artistic expression should be allowed in a democracy. He pointed out that Bikaner House comes under the Rajasthan government.“If we believe in democracy, there is no point in mixing politics with the creative world. Everyone should be allowed to express themselves,” he said.The controversy centres on Raihan’s solo exhibition, No Idea Is Final, after he alleged that more than 70 photographs documenting recent youth-led protests in Delhi were removed shortly before the exhibition opened. Bikaner House has said certain photographs were inconsistent with its policy, which it said focuses on culture and wildlife, and that the removed images carried political messaging.