According to a report by news agency PTI, the exhibition opened as scheduled on Wednesday, displaying only around 40 photographs, while more than 70 works were removed. The exhibition features wildlife photography, abstract artworks and photographs documenting youth movements. It will remain open until Sunday.
In a post on Instagram, Rehan wrote, “Five hours ago, the Bikaner House management forced me to remove most of the artworks from my show ‘No Idea Is Final.’ These photographs were of youth protests that took place in Delhi. They also asked me to remove two photographs of the Indian tricolour. I refused. I will not remove a photograph of the Indian tricolour.”
Why Were the Photographs Removed?
Rehan told PTI that the management had objected to the political nature of the photographs documenting the protests. According to him, he was informed at 3:30 pm on Wednesday that the photographs had to be removed by 5 pm, failing which the exhibition would be cancelled.
Rehan said the management maintained that, given India's current political climate, it was not the right time to display the photographs.
He maintained that the images did not carry a political message but instead served as a record of protests held over the previous six months. Explaining his decision to document the demonstrations, he told PTI, “As an Indian artist, I felt it was my duty. As an Indian artist, it is my responsibility to record what is happening. They are censoring the work of artists. I don't know what they are afraid of. They have even gone so far as to ask me to remove a photograph of the Indian tricolour.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the reported removal of the photographs, describing it as an attempt to silence young people. Speaking to PTI, she said, “I think this is absolutely absurd. What do you think? He is a young boy. They are silencing the voices of young people across the country. So it is only natural to expect that they can do this to anyone.”
She added that Rehan's photographs depicted only protests and contained no commentary or material that could be considered offensive to anyone. According to her, the images were simply a visual documentation of the demonstrations.
“This is clearly how they think. This is no longer a democracy. Today, this has happened to Rehan; tomorrow, it will happen to another artist,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.
The dispute over “No Idea Is Final” has brought attention to allegations of restrictions on artistic expression, with Rehan maintaining that his photographs documented recent youth protests and that he would not remove the images featuring the Indian national flag.
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