State to seek tableau clarity

TT, Calcutta: The Bengal government has decided to write to the Centre protesting the delay in confirming the state whether its tableau with the theme "unity is harmony (ekotai sompriti)" has been selected for next year's Republic Day parade in the capital.

"We don't know officially whether our tableau was selected... As majority of the states have already been confirmed about their participation, we would ask whether we have been selected. And if our tableau is rejected, we would like to know the reason," said a senior state government official.

The chief minister had suggested on Friday that the Centre had rejected Bengal's tableau though there hasn't been any official confirmation about it. On Saturday, she said that her government would stick to the theme and the tableau would lead the Republic Day parade in Calcutta.

"The Centre might have rejected our tableau theme ekotai sampriti. If they reject it, let them do so, but people will not reject our theme or us. So, on the Republic Day parade in Calcutta, this will be our first tableau," the chief minister said while inaugurating Sangeet Mela at Uttirna, an open-air auditorium in Alipore, on Saturday.

Senior government officials said that there are hints that the state government would not be allowed to take part in the Delhi parade.

"It is assumed that our tableau has been rejected as the state was not invited in a meeting held on December 6 in Delhi where the participating states were given go-ahead to prepare their tableau," a Nabanna official said.

Sources said that the chief minister did not want to miss the chance to criticise the Narendra Modi government as she has been trying to champion the opposition to the "divisive" politics of the BJP.

"The chief minister felt that cancellation of the tableau with the theme of unity would establish her claim that the BJP is engaged in divisive politics... So, she wants something in writing from Delhi and that's the reason why the state government would write a letter seeking information on the issue," said a source.