News Delhi, Jan 18 (FN Bureau) Amid a row, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and M K Stalin of Tamil Nadu that the process of selecting tableaux for the Republic Day parade is transparent. Both Banerjee and Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their displeasure over the exclusion of their states’ tableaux from the January 26 parade. Banerjee expressed “shock and hurt” that the proposed state tableau was dropped from the parade. Stalin informed Modi: “I am deeply disappointed that Tamil Nadu has been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Republic Day parade.” In response to both the Chief Ministers, Rajnath Singh said a committee of experts takes the final call on the tableaux based on various aspects like theme, concept, design and visual impact. “I would like to assure you that the selection process of the tableaux … is very transparent.
The committee of eminent scholars of art, culture, music and dance recommends the proposals sent by the States/UTs after evaluation in several rounds,” Singh’s letter to Banerjee read. He pointed out that the tableau of West Bengal took part in the Republic Day celebrations in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. In response to Stalin, the Minister said the Tamil Nadu tableaux was selected in the Republic Day parade in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Singh also said that 12 out of 29 proposals of the states and Union Territories have been approved for this year’s parade. “From now on every year the Republic Day celebration will start from Jan 23, the birthday of Netaji and conclude on Jan 30. The present government is indebted to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and all the freedom fighters of West Bengal,” said Singh to Banerjee. Banerjee said “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.”