Centre drops Bose R-Day tableau, Mamata Banerjee writes to Modi

In her letter, Banerjee said that she was “profoundly shocked” after the decision and more so because the tableau “was rejected without assigning any reasons or justifications.”

The proposed tableau was set to commemorate the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on his 125th birth anniversary year, the CM said. She also said that it would have “carried portraits of “some of the most illustrious sons and daughters of this country Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Birsa Munda and many patriots.”

The Chief Minister also wrote: “All the people of West Bengal are deeply pained by this attitude of the central government. Bengal was at the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle and has paid the heaviest price for the country’s Independence through the partition.”

“I urge you to reconsider the decision and include the tableau of freedom fighters from West Bengal in the Republic Day parade on the 75th year of our Independence,” the letter read.

Apart from Banerjee, Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury has also written to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to express his “disappointment” over the issue. “I am disappointed and shocked to learn that the Central Government has rejected the proposal of the State Government of West Bengal for a tableau showcasing its cultural heritage and Netaji’s life and contributions in our Freedom Struggle on Republic Day 2022. This is an insult to the people of West Bengal, its cultural heritage and our great hero Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose,” his letter read.