R-Day tableau rejection insult to Bengal, result of anti-CAA stir: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended Citizenship Act.

The state BJP was quick to hit back and accused the TMC government of not properly following rules and procedure which it said caused the rejection. The Defence Ministry had on Wednesday rejected West Bengal's tableau proposal.

The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the ministry said.

"The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting.

"It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said.

The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments of which 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed, the statement said.

West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Tapas Roy accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of having a "vindictive attitude" against the state.

"Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti- people policies of the BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy told PTI.

This is not the first time that West Bengal's tableau proposal has been rejected. There have been previous instances also, he said.

"Such cheap politics won't deter us from opposing anti-people policies. The BJP has insulted the people of West Bengal and they would get a befitting reply for it in the near future," Roy said.

Responding to the allegations, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the tableau was rejected as the state government didn't properly follow the rules and procedure in submitting the proposal.

"The state government has not followed the rules. Other states have followed them, so their tableau proposals were accepted. The TMC should stop doing politics on each and every issue," Ghosh said.