Why Defence Ministry rejected Punjab, Bengal tableaus for R-day
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has rejected the Punjab and West Bengal governments' tableau proposals for the 2024 Republic Day parade, The Indian Express reported. This sparked a controversy, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accusing the central government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of discriminating against non-BJP-ruled states. However, the ministry refuted the charges on Sunday, claiming that the two tableaus did not correspond with this year's wider themes as determined by the expert panel.
Expert Committee junked proposals from Punjab, Bengal: MoD
Out of all the proposals, 30 were received from states and union territories. Other proposals were from ministries and departments. The Defence Ministry said experts reviewed the Punjab government's idea and rejected it after three rounds of meetings. Similarly, the West Bengal government proposal was rejected after two rounds. Both the proposals were rejected for the same reason. They didn't fully align with this year's theme "Viksit Bharat," according to the MoD.
How is a tableau selected?
The ministry explained that the tableaus received from states, UTs, central ministries, and departments are judged on theme, concept, design, and visual impact. The committee, comprising eminent personalities from art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, and choreography backgrounds, shortlists the tableaus for participation in the parade, it said. However, due to parade time constraints, only 15-16 states and UTs are selected to showcase their tableau.
Rejected states to display tableaus during Bharat Parv
The MoD said to ensure equal treatment and opportunities for all states and UTs, it is developing a three-year program covering all regions. States and UTs not selected for the Republic Day parade are invited to display their tableaus during Bharat Parv at Red Fort, New Delhi, from January 23 to 31. Notably, the tableau of Punjab was shortlisted for the R-Day parade from 2017 to 2022 and that of West Bengal for 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Dirty politics: AAP fumed after rejection
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) earlier called the rejection decision "biased." Training guns at the BJP, Mann said, "If they have their way, they will take out the word 'Punjab' from the national anthem." Another AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar said, "Not including the tableaus of Delhi and Punjab in the Republic Day parade shows BJP's dirty politics." She alleged that BJP-ruled states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were consistently allowed to showcase their tableaus, unlike Delhi and Punjab.
BJP alleges AAP hiding real reason for rejection
In response, Delhi BJP Secretary Bansuri Swaraj said the AAP was hiding the real reason for the rejection of its tableau. "It is shameful that without telling reasons for rejection of their tableau proposals, the AAP leaders are politicizing the decision of a specialist committee," she said. Another BJP leader from Delhi, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, claimed the real reason for the rejection of the Punjab tableau was that it prominently showed pictures of Arvind Kejriwal and Mann rather than martyrs.
