Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot slams BJP over alleged removal of photos from Raihan Vadra’s exhibition at Bikaner House
Ashok Gehlot, the former chief minister of Rajasthan, has publicly denounced the BJP for allegedly removing more than 70 photographs from a recent show by Raihan Vadra at Bikaner House in Delhi. In a terse post on X, Gehlot framed the act as a direct attack on democracy and an instance of state‑sanctioned censorship.
The exhibition, which documented youthful protest movements across Delhi, appears to have struck a nerve with authorities who, according to Gehlot, were unsettled by its political charge. The removal of such a substantial portion of the work raises questions about the limits of artistic expression in a climate where cultural venues are increasingly entwined with partisan agendas.
The episode adds to a growing chorus of concerns among artists and curators about the vulnerability of contemporary art to political pressure in India. As the debate unfolds, the fate of the remaining photographs and the future of similar socially engaged projects remain uncertain, underscoring the fraught relationship between creative freedom and governmental oversight.