Delhi Art, Culture and Languages Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to “exact revenge on the AAP”, which governs the national capital and the border state.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi’s tableaux for three consecutive years now.

The last time Delhi’s tableau featured in the Republic Day parade was in 2021. It showcased the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, according to officials.

Mr Bharadwaj said Delhi’s tableau this year would have showcased schools in the city and the mohalla clinic model.

“The tableau of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, was rejected by the Centre. Its tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade and then for the 2023 parade and now it has been rejected again for the 2024 parade,” the minister said.

The theme of the Republic Day parade was “Nari Shakti” in 2023 and “Viksit Bharat” for 2024, he said.

“No one can say it’s a design competition. The Centre had given us some suggestions and we incorporated those (into the tableau proposal). If it would have given us more suggestions, we would have included those too,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

“Our tableau would have showcased schools and the mohalla clinic model,” he added.

Mr Bharadwaj said it’s not a coincidence that Punjab’s tableau proposal was also rejected.

“The Centre is doing this to exact revenge on the AAP,” he charged.

Regarding the “Viksit Bharat” theme provided by the Central government for the parade, he said, “Any state generally presents what aspects or items could represent the theme of a developed India in their tableau. India will develop through a good education system and better healthcare facilities.” 

He further said, “The Delhi government included Delhi’s school system and mohalla clinics in their proposal. Despite this, the proposal for Delhi’s floats was rejected by the central government.” The Delhi minister also questioned the intentions of the BJP-led central government, stating that it is “persistently” exhibiting behaviour aimed solely at retaliating against the AAP.

“It’s not a coincidence that they not just rejected the tableau proposals given by the Delhi government but also those by the AAP-led Punjab government,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

He indicated that it can be understood from the Centre’s actions that the rejection of Delhi and Punjab’s tableaux proposals was not based on any deficiency or fault but rather due to animosity toward the AAP.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attacked the Centre over the non-inclusion of the state’s tableau in the parade and accused it of discrimination.

Eighty per cent of the selected states are ones ruled by the BJP, he alleged.

The BJP’s Punjab unit, in response, slammed Mr Mann on Thursday for politicising the non-inclusion of the state’s tableau. It also claimed that the AAP government had insisted that the tableau carry photos of Mr Mann and Mr Kejriwal.

Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP’s Delhi chief, accused the AAP of indulging in politics on events of national pride.

“AAP leaders know the truth but they are not telling it. January 26, and August 15 are events of national sovereignty and pride but Arvind Kejriwal is busy doing politics on this too,” he said.

“The actual reason for Delhi and Punjab’s tableaux being rejected is that he (Kejriwal) was using his pictures there and, hence, the screening committee rejected the proposals,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the choice of people is the BJP and there is a consensus among them that the country does not need a “mili-juli sarkar” as an era of such governments resulted in loss of optimism and gave a bad image to India.

Exuding confidence about the 2024 general election, PM Modi in an interview to India Today magazine said there is a consensus among the people, experts, opinion makers and friends from the media that “our country doesn’t need a mili-juli sarkar“.

“We have lost 30 years due to instability resulting from mili-juli sarkar. People have seen the lack of governance, appeasement politics, corruption in the era of mili-juli sarkar. This resulted in loss of optimism and confidence among the people and gave a bad image to India in the world. So, naturally the choice of the people is the BJP,” PM Modi said.

His comments assume significance, coming ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in which the opposition INDIA bloc is set to challenge the BJP.

PM Modi said his guarantee is not a formula made for winning elections, but it is the trust of the poor. “Today, every poor person in the country knows that Modi will not back down from his duty. This trust of the poor also gives me the energy that even if I completely exhaust myself or push myself over my limit, I would not let this trust be violated,” he said.

PM Modi said to make India developed by 2047, the focus will be on GYAN — “G for Garib, Y for Yuva, A for Annadata, N for Nari Shakti”.

Discussing ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’, PM Modi drew parallels between the 1922-1947 period and the next 25 years.

“From 1922 to the period up to 1947, everyone wanted to contribute towards the freedom movement. I see a similar optimism among the people to make India a developed country by the time we celebrate 100 years of independence. This energy is my driving force,” PM Modi said. “Hum GYAN pe dhyaan denge (we will focus on GYAN)…” he added

On the BJP selecting fresh faces as Chief Ministers of three heartland states – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh – PM Modi said it may appear like a fresh trend, but it is not new for the party.

The Prime Minister said he himself is the best example of this practice within the BJP. PM Modi pointed out that when he became Gujarat Chief Minister, he had no prior administrative experience and was not even elected to the assembly.

“Most of the other parties today are parivarvadi (dynastic) parties and these find this democratic churn difficult,” PM Modi said, adding the BJP is a cadre-based party, driven by a clear mission and has the ability to nurture multiple generations of leadership at the same time.

On why the BJP is not ruling in any of the big southern and eastern states, PM Modi pointed to the party’s expanding footprint in the country. there is no corner of the country where our party does not have support”.

“From local bodies in Kerala to being the principal opposition in many states, our party is doing robust work among the people,” he said.

With inputs from PTI

Pakistan has received India’s request for extradition of 26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on Friday. But she said that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between India and Pakistan.

In a statement, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “Pakistan has received a request from the Indian authorities, seeking extradition of Hafiz Saeed in a so-called money laundering case.”

“It is pertinent to note that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India,” she added.

Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has conveyed a request to the Pakistan government regarding the extradition of Hafiz Saeed to India for facing trial in a particular case.

Addressing the weekly briefing, Mr Bagchi said, “The person in question (Hafiz Saeed) is wanted in numerous cases in India. He is also a UN-proscribed terrorist. In this regard, we have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents, to the government of Pakistan to extradite him to India to face trial in a particular case.

“We have been flagging the issue of activities that he’s been wanted for. This is a recent request,” he added.

Notably, Saeed, who is a UN-proscribed terrorist is the founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He was the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and is wanted in India in numerous cases.

Muhammad Hafiz Saeed, who has been in jail since July 17, 2019, for other charges, was sentenced in April 2022 by a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan, to a jail term of 33 years for “financing terrorism.”

Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU in the 2000s, Saeed was neither charged nor extradited over nearly two decades. Saeed was designated as a terrorist by the United Nations Security Council in December 2008.

Meanwhile, in a development that has brought criticism, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political entity of Hafiz Saeed has fielded candidates for each and every national and provincial assembly constituency across Pakistan for the upcoming general elections slated to be held on February 8, 2024.

Hafiz Saeed’s son Talha Saeed is also going to contest the polls from National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore, Dawn reported. PMML’s central president Khalid Masood Sindhu is contesting elections from NA-130, against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)