Mamata dashes off letter to PM over R-Day tableau rejection, says 'profoundly shocked'

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider the decision of excluding Bengal's tableau from the Republic Day parade in Delhi. West Bengal's tableau commemorates Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on the leader's 125th birth anniversary year.

Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider the decision of excluding Bengal's tableau from the Republic Day Parade in Delhi as West Bengal's tableau commemorates Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on the leader's 125th birth anniversary year.

In this letter, Mamata expresses her shock and pain over the Centre's decision. In a two-page letter, she wrote, "I have been profoundly shocked and hurt by the decision of the Government of India to abruptly exclude the proposed tableau of the Government of West Bengal from the ensuing Republic Day Parade. It is even more baffling for us that the tableau was rejected without assigning any reasons or justifications."

Banerjee says that it is shocking to find that the contribution of valiant freedom fighters finds no place in the nation's ceremony to celebrate the occasion of Republic Day on the 75th year of our Independence.

She further urged Prime Minister to reconsider the decision and include the tableau of freedom fighters from West Bengal in the Republic Day parade on the 75th year of Independence.

Meanwhile, the Congress party also joined her in expressing shock at the dropping of the tableau, with Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha writing to the Prime Minister on the issue.