Tableau politics heats up ahead of Republic day parade
New Delhi, Jan 16: Ahead of the Republic Day parade, the politics of tableaus has heated up after the Centre rejected the proposals of Kerala and West Bengal governments with the latter's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shooting off a letter to the Prime Minister and Congress alleging partisan and vindictiveness in the selection of the states.
Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad has alleged that the BJP is vindictive towards the 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 added.
The West Bengal Chief Minister on Sunday too shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to reconsider the decision of excluding West Bengal's tableau. The tableau was to commemorate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) on his 125th birth anniversary.
"All the people of West Bengal are deeply pained by this attitude of the central government. Bengal was at the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle and has paid the heaviest price for the country's Independence through the partition," Banerjee said.
In a detailed letter, Banerjee wrote: "We 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."
"The proposed tableau was commemorating the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on his 125th birth anniversary year and was carrying portraits of some of the most illustrious sons and daughters of this country - Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Sri Aurobindo, Matangini Hazra, Nazrul, Birsa Munda and many patriots," the chief Minister said.
"It is shocking to find that this contribution of its valiant freedom fighters finds no place in the nation's ceremony to celebrate the occasion of the Republic Day on the 75th year of our Independence," she wrote.
Giving a detailed description of West Bengal's contribution in the freedom struggle and the rich culture of the state, the chief minister said: "I urge you to reconsider the decision and include the tableau of freedom fighters from West Bengal in the Republic Day parade on the 75th year of our Independence. The tableau which showcases the sacrifices and contribution of the lakhs of freedom fighters will be the most befitting way to pay our respect and homage to all those great souls who fought for our freedom".
Earlier, floor leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh over the issue and had said that he is disappointed and shocked. "It is an insult to the people of Bengal that the Central Government has rejected the proposal of West Bengal's tableau showcasing its cultural heritage and Netaji's life and contributions in our Freedom Struggle, on Republic Day," he said.