The Defence Ministry has finalised a rotational plan which will ensure that all States and Union Territories get a chance to display their tableaux at the Republic Day parade within a three-year cycle.
This is a welcome step that will potentially avoid controversy over the selection of tableaux that has become an unfortunate and frequent accompaniment of the parade.
This year, tableaux of 16 States/Union Territories (UT) were selected for the January 26 parade following an established process.
But the Opposition-ruled Delhi, Punjab, Karnataka and West Bengal that were not qualified cried foul.
Karnataka’s Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that seven proposals sent by the State were rejected by the Centre.
A political motive behind selection and exclusion has often been suggested, under the current BJP regime and the previous UPA regime.
Only around 15 or 16 tableaux from States/UTs are selected each year, and, obviously, all cannot be accommodated.
Those States that have not been selected for the parade this year were invited to showcase their tableaux at the Bharat Parv from January 23 to 31 at the Red Fort.
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