Controversy Erupts as Over 70 Photos Removed from Rehan Vadras Exhibition, Ashok Gehlot Calls it Censorship

Jaipur, October 22 (Daily Kiran) : A political storm has erupted following the removal of more than 70 photographs from Rehan Vadra’s exhibition at Bikaner House in Delhi. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has sharply criticized this action, describing it as a form of censorship and questioning the motives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a post on social media platform X, Gehlot emphasized that Bikaner House is a property of the Rajasthan government and argued that removing the photographs suppresses the expression of a young artist. He accused the BJP of orchestrating this censorship.

Gehlot noted that many of the photographs were related to recent youth movements in Delhi. He alleged that the BJP fears the truth of these movements becoming public, prompting their attempts to conceal such narratives.

In his post, Gehlot highlighted an incident where two images featuring the Indian national flag were requested to be removed. He praised Rehan Vadra for refusing to comply, stating that his steadfastness in honoring the flag is commendable.

Gehlot characterized the entire episode as an attack on democracy, asserting that silencing artists is a blatant violation of democratic principles. He demanded the BJP clarify why images that depict truth were taken down.

Rehan Vadra, the son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claimed that the management of Bikaner House, operated by the Rajasthan government, requested the removal of most of his photographs just hours before the exhibition titled “No Idea is Final” was set to open. The exhibition was scheduled to showcase images from recent protests in the capital.