West Bengal to take out its Netaji-themed tableau if Centre doesn't allow it on R-Day: Sources

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi on Sunday asking him to reconsider the Centre’s decision to “abruptly exclude” the state’s proposed Netaji- centred tableau from the Republic Day Parade.

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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (Photo: Filel)
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (Photo: File)

A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to reconsider the Centre’s decision to “abruptly exclude” the state’s proposed tableau from the Republic Day Parade, sources said the West Bengal government will use a tableau on Netaji and freedom fighters during the state's Republic Day programme.

Sources said the West Bengal government will take the decision if the Central government does not review its decision.

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ALSO READ: 'Profoundly shocked': Mamata writes to PM Modi on exclusion of Bengal's Netaji-centred tableau from R-Day parade

Sources in Nabbana told India Today TV that the state's Netaji-themed tableau was passed till the design stage but no information was given to the state for the model creation stage, claimed an state government official to India Today TV on Sunday.

In her letter, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the people of West Bengal were “deeply pained” by the exclusion, which amounted to “belittling and undermining” Bengali freedom fighters.

West Bengal’s proposed tableau this year commemorated the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary and carried portraits of “some of the most illustrious sons and daughters of this country Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Birsa Munda and many patriots”, Mamata Banerjee said.

“I have been profoundly shocked and hurt by the decision of the Government of India to abruptly exclude the proposed tableau. It is even more baffling that the tableau was rejected without assigning any reasons,” she wrote in her letter.

ALSO READ: Netaji’s kin writes to PM Modi asking to have Subhash Chandra Bose’s image on currency notes

In 2020 as well, the tableau pitched by the West Bengal government was rejected by the Centre.

WE WEREN’T CALLED FOR FURTHER MEETINGS: BENGAL GOVT

Sources in the West Bengal government told India Today that the tableau had been passed until the design stage but no information was given for the model creation stage.

“A total of five meetings happened between the West Bengal government team and the central government’s department which looks after the Republic Day Parade. After that, we were not called for further meetings or approvals," said the official.

On the matter, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, “TMC government purposely makes such tableaus which get rejected so they can do politics over it."

IS CENTRE TAKING OUT NETAJI-THEMED TABLEAU?

On Sunday, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose said he had been informed by the Centre that a tableau on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would be part of the Republic Day Parade in Delhi.

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"I have been told that a tableau on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Indian National Army will be present in the parade in Delhi. I had written a letter to PM Modi and this was one of my requests. As it was the central government officials who informed me, I think the tableau will be taken out by the central government,” he said.

“There are a million things over which the two governments can fight, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose should not be one of them,” he added.

ALSO READ: Republic Day celebrations to begin from Jan 23, include Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary