Centre rejecting Delhi govt's R Day tableau a political move: AAP

New Delhi: The Union government rejecting a tableau for Republic Day sponsored by the Delhi government has offended the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs the National Capital Region. AAP alleged that the proposed tableau which showcases Delhi government's plans of showcasing its health and education models being rejected was a political move, PTI reports.

According to officials, the last tableau of Delhi to be selected for the Republic Day parade was in 2021 when the Shahjahanabad redevelopment was showcased.

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the Delhi government was not provided any reason for the exclusion of its tableau this year.

"Not including the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab in the Republic Day parade shows the dirty politics of the BJP. BJP-ruled states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are consistently given the opportunity (to showcase their tableaux) in the Republic Day parade but like last time, Delhi and Punjab have been sidelined this time too," she alleged.

Talking about Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's model of governance, she said the national capital has the lowest inflation and the highest per capita income in the country.

"In this model, 200 units of electricity are free, and above that, electricity is available at the lowest rate in the country. Under this model in Delhi, nearly 30 flyovers have been built in the last 10 years, which have been constructed at significantly lower costs than estimated, resulting in a saving of Rs 557 crore," she said.

She said that Delhi's education and health models are globally renowned and said that the BJP was currently attacking the government's health model.

"Delhi belongs to everyone. A large number of people come here from various states and foreign countries for education, treatment and employment. Delhi embraces everyone.

"That's why the Delhi government wanted to showcase the health and education models in the Republic Day parade and demonstrate how much change has been witnessed through these models in Delhi in recent years, but unfortunately this was not allowed," she said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday slammed the BJP for not including the state's tableau in the Republic Day parade, calling it a step towards removing the word Punjab from the national anthem.

"If they have their way, they will take out the word 'Punjab' from the national anthem," he told reporters in Chandigarh.

Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj hit out at the AAP and said a high-level committee of specialists decided on the proposals for the parade tableaux received from state governments and various government departments.

"It is shameful that without telling reasons for rejection of their tableaux proposals, the AAP leaders are politicising the decision of a specialist committee," she said.

She said that people want to know what the Punjab and Delhi governments would show in the tableaux if allowed.

She alleged that all that the AAP governments have to show are stories of liquor scams, fake medicines scams, bungalow scams, drug sales in Punjab or ministers going to jail.