BJP Rajasthan president Madan Rathore on Friday, 23 October questioned why Raihan Vadra — son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra — is reportedly being referred to as 'Rehan Rajiv Gandhi', as a political row over the removal of photographs from his exhibition at Bikaner House in New Delhi continues to deepen. The controversy now spans questions of artistic freedom, political nomenclature, and institutional censorship.

Rathore's Remarks on the Gandhi Name

Speaking from Jaipur, Rathore said: 'Perhaps I shouldn't say it; you might end up calling it a controversial statement, but if you look into it, he is being referred to as Rehan Rajiv Gandhi.' He questioned why the name 'Rajiv' was being appended, asking, 'Is it because they want to further their political interests by leveraging that family name? And what about his father, where has he gone? Why are you using such names?' Rathore further remarked that, according to Indian cultural traditions, a person should use the names of their own parents.

The Exhibition at the Centre of the Row

Raihan Vadra's photography exhibition, titled No Idea Is Final, is hosted at Bikaner House in New Delhi, a property managed by the Bikaner House Management Society on behalf of the Rajasthan government. Raihan alleged that more than 70 photographs documenting recent youth movements and protests were removed shortly before the exhibition opened. The Management Society stated that certain photographs were inconsistent with its policy and had been requested for removal. Raihan criticised the decision, arguing that placing restrictions on artistic expression was wrong.

Congress Leaders Condemn the Move

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the removal of the photographs, aligning with her son's position on artistic freedom. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also criticised the decision sharply, saying: 'Bikaner House is a property of the Rajasthan government. This means that, under the watch of the BJP-led state government, the artistic expression of a young artist was stifled. This is highly condemnable.' Gehlot further asked, 'Why were photographs depicting the truth removed?', and described the incident as an act of censorship that amounted to an attack on democracy.

Political Fault Lines Widen

The episode has drawn the BJP and the Indian National Congress (INC) into a sharper confrontation on two distinct fronts — the use of the Gandhi family name and the limits of artistic expression at government-managed venues. This comes amid a broader national conversation about institutional autonomy and the boundaries between political messaging and cultural spaces. Notably, Bikaner House's dual identity as both a cultural venue and a Rajasthan government property makes the management's decision politically difficult to insulate from partisan scrutiny. As both sides dig in, the fate of the removed photographs and any formal response from the Rajasthan government remain to be seen.