‘A disgrace at so many levels’: Tharoor hits out after Raihan Vadra’s photo exhibition censored at Bikaner House

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised the removal of photographs from Raihan Vadra's solo exhibition at Bikaner House in New Delhi, stating the decision damages India's global democratic standing and raises grave concerns regarding freedom of artistic expression.

In a post shared on X, Tharoor labelled the episode a "disgrace at so many levels", arguing that documentary images of public protests depict real-world events rather than partisan political stances.

The controversy arose after Raihan Vadra, son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, alleged that management at Bikaner House asked him to remove several pieces shortly before the opening of his exhibition, titled "No Idea Is Final". The removed works reportedly included documentation of student-led protests and two images featuring the Indian national flag.

"Censorship drives nail into India's global reputation"

Outlining his objections to the venue's actions, Tharoor emphasised that the photographs captured events that had already been extensively covered in the public domain.

"This is a disgrace at so many levels," Tharoor said, listing his objections to the decision to remove the photographs from the exhibition, "No Idea Is Final".

"The images are of events that have already been burned into the public consciousness, and many of the photos would have echoed similar images that the public has already seen in the media and online," Tharoor said, adding that "While Bikaner House is free to have a policy against political stands, photographs of a protest demonstration are a depiction of an event and not political in themselves; they would almost certainly have passed muster had the matter been brought to a court as an issue of freedom of expression."

"And worst of all, this censorship has driven one more nail into the coffin of India's global reputation as a freedom-loving democracy," the Congress MP said.

Tharoor added that the heavy-handed response ultimately backfired by drawing widespread media coverage to Vadra's work:

"Anyway, the publicity this episode has received will have reached a far larger audience, in Delhi and worldwide, than the exhibition itself might have, had it been allowed to proceed undisturbed. I thank heavy-handed officials for giving a well-deserved boost to the photographic talents and career of @RaihanrVadra," Tharoor said.

Political backlash and venue response

Defending its actions, the Bikaner House Management Society stated that specific images violated its long-standing operational guidelines against political content, confirming that compliant artwork remains on display.

The move triggered a sharp political debate. Congress leaders condemned the action as clear artistic suppression, whereas BJP representatives argued that public venues must uniformly enforce their rules.

Amid the ongoing row, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan extended an invitation to host the full exhibition in Kerala with "no exclusions, no exceptions". However, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar questioned the gesture, alleging preferential treatment for Vadra compared to other young artists. (ANI)