As the political clash between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP intensifies in the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has charged the Centre with engaging in vendetta politics against his party by omitting the national capital’s tableau from the Republic Day parade.
In an address to the press in New Delhi on Sunday, the AAP national convenor alleged that the Modi government is expressing frustration towards the people of Delhi.
“These individuals (BJP) lack a narrative, strategy, agenda, or concerns to contest the Delhi elections. They mistreat me and my party around the clock. Is this the reason Delhi should elect them to power. Why are the residents of Delhi prevented from taking part in the Republic Day parade?” he questioned,
The AAP and the BJP have clashed over the exclusion of the Delhi tableau from the Republic Day parade in recent years, and it has also been omitted from the 2025 event.
Tableaux from various states and Union Territories such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal have been selected for Republic Day 2025.
Centre’s clarification on the matter
After Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the Centre intentionally omitted Delhi’s tableau from the Republic Day Parade, the Ministry of Defence explained that the tableau selection procedure is equitable and unbiased, carried out under a rotating roster system, sources indicated.
The ministry stated that it operates on a schedule enabling 15 states and UTs to engage every three years. Delhi was included in the shortlist of states for 2025, however, the Tableau Selection Committee did not approve its proposal, the sources mentioned.
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Further clarification on the tableaus of other states and UTs omitted for 2025 indicates that Mizoram and Sikkim failed to submit proposals, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep did not attend the selection meetings.
In the meantime, five more states – Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal occupied the positions.
Sources from the defence ministry stated that the selection process focuses on merit and creativity rather than political connections. They stated that Punjab’s inclusion, even though it is governed by AAP, underscores the impartiality of the process.
