Chief Minister MK Stalin has addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his displeasure with the Union government's decision to dismiss all seven designs presented by Tamil Nadu for the Republic Day parade. The letter, that was sent on Monday, requested Modi's help in arranging for the inclusion of a representation of Tamil Nadu's freedom fighters.
Stalin wrote in his letter that he was extremely upset to learn that Tamil Nadu had been denied the chance to take participate in the Republic Day parade. According to the letter, state officials visited three times before the expert group for tableaux selection. It also mentioned that at the first meeting, the expert group expressed agreement with Tamil Nadu's concept consisting of Tamil Nadu in the Freedom Struggle.
Stalin wrote in his letter that the people of Tamil Nadu would be severely upset by the tableau's absence, as will their patriotic sensibilities. It is unacceptable that the committee decides to disregard and reject all seven designs presented to it as modified by its members. According to what he had been told that Tamil Nadu was not invited to the fourth round of meetings, and the state of Tamil Nadu was dropped out of the shortlisting. Thol Thirumavalavan, the creator of the VCK, Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, and several other DMK politicians had also chastised the Centre for dismissing Tamil Nadu's proposed Republic Day parade tableau.
Meanwhile, the idea that was submitted and got rejected included V O Chidambaranar, the freedom fighter who established the Swadeshi steam navigation company in 1906 throughout the Indian independence movement and was incarcerated on sedition charges, Tamil national poet Subramania Bharathi, who was recognised for his patriotic songs all through the freedom struggle, and a statue of Rani Veluyath Nachiyar, the Indian queen who battled the East India company were among the prominent Tamil freedom fighters featured in the design presented by Tamil Nadu.