In a recent development, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, has announced that Punjab's rejected tableau will not be showcased at the Bharat Parv event in Red Fort. This decision comes after Punjab's tableau was not selected for the Republic Day parade in Delhi.

The Defence Ministry had extended an invitation to the Punjab government, inviting them to display their tableau during the Bharat Parv celebrations, which are scheduled to take place from January 23 to 31. However, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann firmly stated that Punjab's tableau will not be relegated to the "rejected category" and therefore, will not be displayed at the event.

According to the Chief Minister's office, the rejection of Punjab's tableau was seen as a grave insult to the contributions and sacrifices made by iconic martyrs and national leaders such as Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru, and Shaheed Sukhdev, among others. The statement further accused the Union government of belittling their significance.

Expressing their discontent, Bhagwant Mann emphasized that the state does not require the support of the union government to pay tribute to its heroes, stating, "the martyrs of the country don't need NOC (No Objection Certificate) of BJP."

The political row over Punjab's excluded tableau began when the Chief Minister accused the Centre of discriminating against Punjab and suggested that they would remove the word "Punjab" from the national anthem if given a chance. Punjab BJP chief, Sunil Jakhar, responded by alleging that the crude construction of Punjab's tableau and the inclusion of pictures of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann were among the reasons for its rejection.

In response to the allegations, the Chief Minister challenged Sunil Jakhar to provide evidence to support his claims and vowed to quit politics if they were proven true. Furthermore, Bhagwant Mann questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would now approve or reject which tableaux are to be showcased.

Defending their selection process, a Defence Ministry source revealed that there is a rigorous evaluation system in place for the selection of tableaux. The proposals go through multiple rounds of meetings by an Expert Committee consisting of distinguished individuals from various artistic fields before final recommendations are made. The source clarified that Punjab's tableau had been shortlisted six times in the last eight years for the Republic Day parade.

In light of the Ministry of Defence's clarification, AAP spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang remarked that Sunil Jakhar stands exposed and demanded accountability for his misleading claims. Kang questioned the alleged designs that were said to contain pictures of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, challenging Jakhar to produce evidence to support his assertion.

With Punjab's rejected tableau now excluded from the Bharat Parv event at Red Fort, the controversy surrounding its non-inclusion in the Republic Day parade continues to fuel political tensions. The final decision raises questions about the selection process and the perceived discrimination against Punjab in national events.