Putting an end to the Netaji tableau controversy, for now, the Calcutta High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Centre to permit the participation of the West Bengal government’s proposed tableau – highlighting the contribution Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army in India’s freedom struggle – at the Republic Day parade in the national capital.
The Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj refused to intervene in the matter on grounds that the petition, besides suffering from certain inherent flaws, was filed late and a judicial intervention a day ahead of the Republic Day ceremony cannot be effective.
Filed by Rama Prasad Sarkar, a practising lawyer at the High Court, the PIL maintained that the Centre had “wrongly rejected” the State’s proposal and never assigned any reason for the rejection.
Appearing on behalf of the Centre, Additional Solicitor General YJ Dastoor argued that the petition was flawed since the petitioner made no demand for justice and that his affidavit was incorrect since it was solely based on newspaper reports.
The West Bengal government, meanwhile, was found to be providing the finishing touches to its own modified tableau on Netaji which would be showcased at the State’s Republic Day parade on Wednesday.
The 40 feet by 12 feet tableau sported a full-length statue of Netaji and a giant bust of the icon beside giant billboards commemorating the leader’s 125th birth anniversary and the Tricolor hoisted in the middle.
The tableau would have two giant LED screens that would display moving images of Netaji and the achievements of the Azad Hind Fauj, confirmed a senior official of the state I&CA Department.
Some 10 children waving the National Flag would be atop the tableau when it will pass the podium of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when they take salutes on the Red Road on Wednesday, the official added.
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