Terming as “unacceptable” the Centre rejecting all seven designs of the Tamil Nadu government’s tableau on freedom fighters from the state, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in including the tableau for the Republic Day parade.
Stalin wrote to Modi after news started trickling in that the tableau from Tamil Nadu was rejected which would mean Karnataka’s tableau will be the only one from southern India. Stalin said TN had proposed “Tamil Nadu in the Freedom Struggle” as the theme, depicting renowned freedom fighters from the state.
“…the representatives of the State appeared before the Expert Committee for selection for tableaux thrice. In the first meeting, the Expert Committee expressed satisfaction about Tamil Nadu’s theme. The design depicted freedom fighters of Tamil Nadu during the British Raj in the front and during the East India Company’s period at the back,” Stalin said.
The design had V O Chidambaranar (VOC), the famous freedom fighter who founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906, legendary poet Subramania Bharathi, Rani Velu Nachiyar and Marudhupandiyar brothers (known as Maruthu brothers).
“Exclusion of the tableau of Tamil Nadu will deeply hurt the sentiments and patriotic feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu. That the committee chooses to ignore and reject all the seven designs shown to it as per the modifications suggested by its members is unacceptable,” Stalin said in his letter.
Terming the rejection as a “matter of grave concern”, the Chief Minister demanded the Prime Minister’s intervention in including the tableau of Tamil Nadu in the Republic Day Parade 2022 in New Delhi.
The issue led to a political controversy with leaders from DMK and Congress terming the BJP government at the Centre as an “insult to people of Tamil Nadu.” The state’s tableau had been part of the Republic day celebrations for five years under the Modi government in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Watch latest videos by DH here:
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks