Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of playing politics, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Monday askedy why its leader and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was not invited to the Republic Day celebrations.
The party also questioned BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi being given a seat in the front row of the enclosure designated for parliamentarians.
"Kiran Bedi is invited/given front row. Arvind was not even extended invitation for Republic Day parade. Politics even this pious day? Shame," AAP leader Ashutosh tweeted.
Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers had staged a sit-in near Railway Bhawan ahead of Jan 26 over women's safety issue. The protest site they chose was near Rajpath, where the Republic Day celebrations are held.
"If protocol says it should be sent, then they should have sent it to me. If not, then they shouldn't. There shouldn't be any politics over it," Kejriwal told reporters.
Meanwhile, a defence ministry official said that Kejriwal was not invited because he did not ask for it.
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"The former chief ministers, former parliamentarians and former bureaucrats are supposed to write letter to ministry of defence for the invitation," the official told IANS.
The BJP described AAP leaders' statements as "unfortunate".
"Unfortunate, on this auspicious day, we have some political parties (AAP) making political statements," party leader G.V.L Narasimha Rao said.