The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of denying permission to Delhi and Punjab to display their tableau at the Republic Day parade at the Kartavya Path on January 26 next.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “Not including the tableau of Delhi and Punjab in the Republic Day parade shows the dirty politics of the BJP. Whereas BJP-ruled states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are consistently given the opportunity in the Republic Day parade, but like last time, this time too, Delhi and Punjab were sidelined.”

Kakkar said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi “had a heart as big as the people of Delhi”, he would have given Delhi the chance to participate in the Republic Day parade.

“The Delhi government wanted to showcase Delhi’s globally renowned education and health model in the parade, but unfortunately, like last year, the Modi government didn’t grant permission this time either,” she said.

The AAP chief spokesperson said, “The health and education models are a matter of pride for Delhi. The government and the people of Delhi prioritise education significantly. The thinktank of the Central Government, namely NITI Aayog, has stated that Delhi’s government schools are among the top 10 in the country because significant changes have been observed in the education system here. Former President of India, late Pranab Mukherjee, had also praised the government schools of Delhi in the same way. Similarly, when America’s former First Lady Melania Trump visited India, she also came to see Delhi’s government schools.”

Higlighting the Health sector, Kakkar said, “The same holds true for our health model, which receives accolades everywhere. However, currently, the BJP is continuously attacking Delhi’s health model. Many people come to Delhi from other states, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, and these people, upon returning to their state, praise Delhi’s health model. The BJP finds these facts hard to digest; hence, they consistently attack Delhi’s health model.”

She further said, “Delhi belongs to everyone. A large number of people come here from various states, including foreign countries, for education, treatment, and employment. Delhi embraces everyone. That’s why the Delhi government wanted to showcase the health and education models in the Republic Day parade and demonstrate how much change has been witnessed through these models in Delhi in recent years, but unfortunately, this was not allowed.’’