Kerala's tableau proposal rejected for R-Day parade

After West Bengal and Maharashtra, Kerala's tableau proposal has been denied permission for this year's Republic Day parade on January 26.

This is the second consecutive time that the state's proposal has been rejected.

The Kerala government had proposed a theme depicting the art and architecture of the state, which was rejected by the screening committee of the defence ministry.

The rejection hasn’t gone down well in the state, with Kerala Law Minister AK Balan alleging that the decision was "politically motivated".

"The decision of rejecting Kerala's tableau is politically motivated," said Balan.

On Thursday, the defence ministry said that 22 proposals comprising of 16 states and Union Territories and six ministries and departments had been shortlisted for participation in the parade after a series of five meetings.

The tableaux proposals received from various states, Union Territories, central ministries and departments are evaluated in a series of meetings by an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc.

"The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of the overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be shortlisted for participation in the parade," the ministry said in a statement.