In addition to Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala’s tableaus have also been rejected and will be excluded from the upcoming Republic Day parade on January 26.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday, January 17, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to question the rejection of the state’s tableau for the upcoming Republic Day parade in New Delhi. In the letter, CM Stalin called the rejection disappointing and asked the Prime Minister to intervene. In addition to Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala’s tableaus have also been rejected and will be excluded from the Republic Day parade on January 26.
“The rejection of Tamil Nadu’s tableau, that included freedom fighters VOC, Mahakavi Bharathiyar, Rani Velu Nachiyar and Maruthu Brothers, from the Republic Day Parade is disappointing. I ask that the respected Prime Minister intervene immediately and ensure that Tamil Nadu’s contribution to the freedom struggle is given a place [in the parade],” Stalin wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister.
It is reportedly the third time in the past five years that Tamil Nadu’s tableau has not made it to the Republic Day parade. CM Stalin’s letter to the PM comes a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also questioned the Union government after the West Bengal tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade. West Bengal’s tableau was to highlight the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, January 16, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider the decision.
“I have been profoundly shocked and hurt by the decision of the Government of India to abruptly exclude the proposed tableau of the Government of West Bengal from the ensuing Republic Day Parade. It is even more baffling for us that the tableau was rejected without assigning any reasons or justifications,” Banerjee said in a two-page letter to Modi. According to reports, West Bengal’s tableau has made it to the Republic Day parade six times since 2008.
The Kerala government has also protested against the Union government’s decision denying permission to the State’s Republic Day parade tableau depicting social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
“The Central government’s decision to deny permission to the Kerala’s Republic Day tableau, which contained anti-caste crusader Narayana Guru’s figure, is extremely condemnable. @BJP4Keralam must state whether they agree with this insulting attitude towards Kerala’s Guru,” V Sivankutty, Kerala’s Education Minister, said in a tweet.
According to reports, Kerala’s tableau has been rejected for the third time in past four years. The state’s proposal for 2020 parade, intending to showcase Kerala’s art and architecture, was rejected. In 2019, Kerala’s float depicting Vaikom Satyagraha, a historic renaissance movement, was rejected. In 2021, Kerala’s tableau showed the state’s relationship with coir in the Republic Day parade.
The BJP in Kerala has claimed that for the past few years, Kerala’s proposals were getting rejected due to “mediocre floats.”
“Opportunity was denied for Kerala due to its lack of homework. Kerala’s presentation was being rejected for the few years due to mediocre floats,” BJP state chief K Surendran said recently.
Congress leader BK Hariprasad has alleged that the BJP is vindictive towards non-NDA ruled states. “The BJP is having vindictive attitude towards certain states. The Centre has rejected Kerala government’s tableau which was based on Narayana Guru, a philosopher & social reformer. He fought against caste-ridden society & rejecting his tableau is an insult to the spiritual guru. This smells of #BJP conspiracy,” he tweeted.
Source: The News Minute