The Kerala government is unwilling to let go of the Republic Day tableau issue.
Higher Education Minister of Kerala, R Bindu has questioned the Centre's secular values by attacking its choice of tableaus showcased at the Republic Day parade in the nation's capital on Wednesday.
The Centre had only given the nod for tableaus from 12 states while other submissions, including from Kerala, were turned down for various reasons.
Kerala had reportedly insisted on presenting a float featuring social reformer Sree Narayana Guru prominently. It was alleged that the Centre wanted Kerala's tableau to feature Adi Sankaracharya instead.
With Kerala refusing to budge, the float was rejected. The state had protested the decision to turn down its submission.
However, minister Bindu has taken to social media to do a comparison by posting pictures of a tableau from Chhattisgarh that was paraded at Rajpath and the one of Kerala that was rejected.
"Yesterday was a glorious commemoration of our country becoming a sovereign democratic republic. The tableaus paraded in the nation's capital and Kerala's rejected Guru. Let it remain here for a comparison," tweeted R Bindu.
"Look at the tableaus lined up at a parade commemorating the constitution of a republic that sees secularism as the most important of its rich constitutional principles!
"How does Sree Narayana Guru who proclaimed 'humanity matters, not religion' (matham ethayalum manushyan nannayal mathi) be not a pariah here?" the minister added.
A central government release stated that the tableaux were "prepared on various themes under ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’".
Chhattisgarh, which minister Bindu chose for comparison, had adopted the theme, 'Godhan Nyay Yogajan: A new path to prosperity'.
