Too late to ponder: HC dismisses plea on Netaji tableau

KOLKATA: Observing that the petitioner has approached the court at a late stage, Calcutta High Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking direction to the Centre to allow Bengal's tableau on Netaji for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava said no effective direction can be issued now with the Republic Day celebration to be held on Wednesday. The bench, also comprising Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, noted various defects in the petition, which were pointed out by the additional solicitor general. "Hence, no case for interference in the present writ petition is made out which is accordingly dismissed," the bench said in its order.

The petitioner submitted this is the year of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji and that the Centre has 'wrongly rejected' the state's tableau for the Republic Day parade themed on the great patriot and Indian National Army (INA) without assigning any reason. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Y J Dastoor submitted that the petition was not maintainable citing technical defects in it. Dastoor said that January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji, has already been declared 'Parakram Diwas' and the central government is celebrating it from January 23 to 30. Advocate General S N Mookherjee, representing the state, stated that he has no instruction if the reasons for rejection have been communicated to the Bengal government.