This came a day after Banerjee wrote to Modi expressing her grief over the boycott of the West Bengal tableau, which focused on the 125th birth anniversary year of Subhas Chandra Bose, and said such a move would hurt his people. There will be “pain”. State.
Controversy over the rejection of tableaux of Republic Day parades of some states intensified on Monday as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin joined his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in demanding immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While some leaders from non-BJP-ruled states, including Kerala, alleged that it was an “insult” by the Centre, sources in the central government rejected the charge and cited a “wrong precedent” by chief ministers to paint the outcome of an objective process. Condemned it. This is done by an expert committee as a ‘flashpoint’ between the Center and the states.
Emphasizing that the shortlist was not prepared by the Centre, he said the proposals from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were rejected by the subject expert committee after due process and deliberation.
A total of 56 proposals were received from the states and central ministries. Of these, 21 were shortlisted and a similar process of selection is followed every year, sources said, adding that the tableaux of these states have been approved several times in the past under the Modi government.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Stalin said that by dropping the tableau of Tamil Nadu, the sentiments and patriotism of the people of the state would be deeply hurt.
Describing it as “a matter of grave concern to Tamil Nadu and its people”, he sought the Prime Minister’s “immediate intervention to arrange for the inclusion of the tableau of Tamil Nadu”, which will be displayed to the freedom fighters of the state in the Republic Day parade 2022. Will do in New Delhi.
This came a day after Banerjee wrote to Modi expressing her grief over the boycott of the West Bengal tableau, which focused on the 125th birth anniversary year of Subhas Chandra Bose, and said such a move would hurt his people. There will be “pain”. State.
Banerjee said the boycott of the tableau, which also features other icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo, “quantified to undermine and undermine freedom fighters”.
His Trinamool Congress party accused the BJP-led central government of “repeatedly” and “systematically” insulting our history, culture and pride.
Senior BJP leader Tathagata Roy also urged Prime Minister Modi to allow the tableau of West Bengal on Monday, but made it clear that his request should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the “petty politics” of the Trinamool Congress. .
The Congress has expressed dismay over the development, with its leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writing to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.
Chowdhury said the decision was an “insult” to the people of West Bengal, its cultural heritage and Bose.
Central government sources, however, denounced attempts to link the issue with regional pride and project it as an insult to the people of the state.
A central government functionary said, “This script also runs almost every year. It is a misguided precedent adopted by the chief ministers of the states to portray the outcome of an objective process as a flashpoint between the Center and the states.”
This goes a long way in damaging the federal structure of the country, he said, adding that these chief ministers probably “have no positive agenda of their own to resort to the same old trick by using misinformation year after year”. lay down”.
Sources said the tableau proposals received from various state and central ministries are evaluated in a series of expert committee meetings of eminent personalities in the fields of art, culture, sculpture, music, architecture and choreography.
The committee scrutinizes the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and visual impact before making its recommendations. He said that only a few proposals could be accepted due to paucity of time.
However, it should be noted that Kerala’s tableau proposals were accepted through the same process and system in 2018 and 2021 under the same Modi government, and Tamil Nadu’s in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He said West Bengal was accepted in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Sources said this year there is no question of insulting the tableau of the Central Public Works Department, which comes under the central government including Bose.
The Kerala government on Friday opposed the removal of the tableau of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. State Education Minister V Shivankutty had asked the Kerala BJP to state whether they agreed with “this degrading attitude towards the Guru of Kerala”.
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