TS keeps off R-Day parade, no tableau proposal from state

Hyderabad: There will be no Telangana tableau at the Republic Day parade in Delhi this year. Official sources said the state government did not send any proposals to the Centre in this regard for the second year in a row, citing Covid as a reason.

While the Centre and a few states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala etc have started a war of words with the Centre over the rejection of their tableaux for the Republic Day parade, the Telangana government chose to stay away from the parade.

Telangana tableaux have figured in the Republic Day parade only twice since the formation of the state in June 2014.

For the first time, Telangana's tableau with Bonalu festival theme was on display in the Republic Day parade in 2015. Later, the proposals submitted by the state government on various themes were rejected by the Centre in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Telangana tableau made it to the Republic Day parade for the second time in 2020 after a gap of five years. It was based on the Bathukamma theme with Goddesses Sammakka-Saralamma depicting famous Medaram Maha Jatara.

Later, in 2021, the state government did not submit any proposals citing Covid. Official sources said this year too, the state government opted out of the Republic Parade race due to the prevailing Covid conditions in the state.