A day after Bikaner House, a Rajasthan government-owned property in Delhi, asked visual artist and photographer Raihan Vadra to remove around 70 of 105 photographs documenting recent protests and youth movements in India from his exhibition, the Congress on Thursday (October 22, 2026) raised concerns over alleged censorship and denying freedom of expression under the BJP-led government.

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan, saying that suppressing the voices of artists amounted to an attack on democracy.

“The truth that comes before the public is what frightens the BJP the most. A government that is rattled by a photo exhibition wants to conceal the unjustified actions taken during these movements,” the Congress leader said.

Titled No Idea Is Final, the exhibition featured wildlife photography, abstract art and photographs documenting recent youth movements in India. It was scheduled to open on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Vadra said the Bikaner House management had first raised objections to some of the photographs a day before the scheduled opening, citing concerns that they could violate its policy. He said he was willing to discuss the objections but sought a written explanation from the authorities.

He alleged that the Deputy Resident Commissioner of Bikaner House subsequently asked him to remove 70 of the 105 photographs on display, citing the venue’s policy. Mr. Vadra said he had already set aside images carrying explicit political slogans after reviewing the policy.

According to Mr. Vadra, the official told him that the context of the protests and developments in Delhi made the photographs political and that they would therefore have to be removed.

He said he complied with the instructions, but the authorities sought further changes after inspecting the exhibition again and subsequently sent him an email asking for additional photographs to be taken down.

He alleged that the requests eventually extended to two photographs of the Tricolour. “I have refused. I will not take down a picture of the Indian flag,” he told the media.

Mr. Vadra further alleged that he had repeatedly asked the authorities to provide written reasons for the removal orders but did not receive a written explanation despite his requests.

He also said a detailed proposal outlining the exhibition had been shared with the management well in advance. However, he was told by the organisers that it was not the appropriate time to display “such images”.

Reacting to the development, Mr. Gehlot criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan. “This is a clear example of censorship. The BJP government must answer why photographs depicting the truth were removed,” he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took to X to condemn the move and express support for her son. “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, adding that she was proud of her son.

In response, the Bikaner House management issued a statement describing the venue as a public cultural institution dedicated to promoting art and culture. It said exhibitions and associated activities must comply with the Bikaner House Management Society’s policy.

“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,” the statement said.

The management added that photographs deemed consistent with the Society’s policy continued to be displayed.

Congress MP and party media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera questioned the “offence” in clicking protest. “When even the Tricolour isn’t safe from the censor’s scissors, perhaps the problem isn’t the art. It’s the regime,” he wrote on X.

He added that the photographs merely documented protests, and not one was derogatory or inflammatory.