Shocked by Centre's move to reject ‌Bose tableau from R-day parade, Mamata writes to Modi

Expressing shock over the Centre's decision to exclude West Bengal's tableau commemorating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on the leader's 125th birth anniversary year, from the upcoming Republic Day Parade in Delhi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider the decision.

Banerjee also said that no reason was cited for the tableau's rejection, a decision, which she said had ''pained'' people.

''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,'' Banerjee said in a two-page letter to Modi.

She wet on to write ''it is even more baffling for us that the tableau was rejected without assigning any reasons or justifications.'' The proposed tableau was to commemorate the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on his 125th birth anniversary year, the Chief Minister said.

''I may like to inform you that all the people of West Bengal are deeply pained by this attitude of the central government. It is shocking to find that the contribution of its valiant freedom fighters finds no place in the nation's ceremony to celebrate the occasion of the Republic Day on the 75th year of our Independence.

''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,'' Banerjee added.

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.