Meet Raihan Vadra: Priyanka Gandhi’s Son At The Centre Of Bikaner House Exhibition Row

Raihan Vadra, the son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said he was asked to remove 70 of 105 photographs from his solo exhibition at Delhi’s Bikaner House shortly before it opened on October 21.

The photographs documented youth protests in Delhi over the past year, he said. Vadra alleged that officials threatened to seal the building and cancel the exhibition unless he complied, and later removed a photograph of the Indian flag themselves.

Bikaner House officials defended the decision, telling NDTV that the photographs carried political messaging and fell outside the venue’s focus on culture and wildlife. The dispute prompted support from Vadra’s parents and criticism from the BJP, which accused the Gandhi family of preparing him for a political role.

Who Is Raihan Vadra?

Raihan Vadra is the son of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra. An artist and photographer, he has previously exhibited his work at Bikaner House, a Rajasthan government-run venue in New Delhi.

According to NDTV, he studied politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 2019. He returned to photography the following year, initially accepting assignments to support himself while studying.

His first solo exhibition, Dark Perception, opened at Bikaner House in July 2021. He followed it with Anumana in December 2022 and his third solo show, Upamana, at Bikaner House in 2024, NDTV reported.

Vadra got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, photographer Aviva Baig, in late December 2025.

His latest exhibition, No Idea Is Final, was scheduled to open at 7 pm on Wednesday. Priyanka Gandhi shared its poster on X that day.

What Happened Before The Opening?

Speaking to PTI on Thursday, Vadra said the venue’s management first raised objections about 24 hours before the opening.

“My show, ‘No Idea Is Final’, was supposed to start at 7PM yesterday [Wednesday, Oct 21] at Bikaner House. Twenty-four hours before the opening, I was approached by the Bikaner House management and told that some of the pictures might be objectionable or against their policy,” he said.

Vadra said he disagreed with that assessment but offered to discuss the photographs and requested a written explanation of the concerns.

“I said that I did not believe they were, but I was happy to discuss the matter and asked them to get back to me in writing, explaining what the concerns were…,” he told PTI.

He said he received no further response until the day the exhibition was due to open. At around 12.30 pm, the Deputy Resident Commissioner called with instructions to remove 70 photographs.

“Then, at around 12.30 pm, we received a call from the Deputy Resident Commissioner saying that I had to remove 70 of the 105 photographs in the exhibition because they were allegedly against the policy...,” he said.

What Did The Photographs Show?

Vadra described the disputed works as street photographs documenting youth movements in Delhi over the previous year.

After examining the venue’s policy, he said he had already separated images containing overtly political slogans. Some other photographs featured political flags or leaders, which he said he was willing to discuss with officials.

“None of the images had any naras; maybe there were some images that had political flags and a few images that had political leaders — that was where I was happy to have a discussion,” he said.

According to Vadra, the Principal Resident Commissioner subsequently told him that the context of the demonstrations made the artwork political and required its removal.

He said officials inspected the revised display but remained dissatisfied. An email then directed him to take down more photographs.

In a separate account to ANI, Vadra said the instructions were followed by a deadline.

“They sent me a notice at 3.30 saying, ‘If you don't remove it by 5 PM, the building is sealed, and the exhibition is canceled,’” he said.

Why Did Indian Flag Photographs Become An Issue?

Vadra alleged that officials also objected to two photographs featuring the Indian flag.

He said he questioned how those images breached the venue’s policy and asked officials to put the instruction in writing.

“I said, ‘But they are just pictures of the Indian flag. I do not think there is anything in your policy that says photographs of the Indian flag have to be removed,’” he said.

According to Vadra, no written instruction on those photographs followed. He alleged that one was subsequently removed while he was away preparing for the opening.

“They left one photograph in place, but while I was at home changing for the opening, they removed the other photograph of the Indian flag themselves. I have a video of them doing that,” he said.

What Has Bikaner House Said?

Responding to the controversy, Bikaner House officials told NDTV that the decision concerned the content of the photographs.

“Exhibitions hosted at the venue are meant to focus on culture and wildlife. Raihan Vadra has held exhibitions at Bikaner House on several occasions in the past. However, this time, the photographs that were asked to be taken down did not fall under either category and instead carried political messaging,” they said.

BJP Says Congress Is Launching Raihan In Politics

Priyanka Gandhi backed her son in a post on X.

“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.

“You stand for what is true and everything beautiful will find its way to you. I am proud of you, always will be,” she added.

Robert Vadra said his son faced pressure to remove the work shortly before the opening but proceeded with the photographs that remained.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, meanwhile, accused the family of seeking to introduce Raihan into politics. Referring to Rahul Gandhi, he said, “After the launch of Rahul Gandhi, Raihan will be launched,” ANI reported.