The country's capital has failed to secure a place for its tableau in the Republic Day parade for a third consecutive year.
Delhi tableau had last participated in the 2013 Republic Day parade when it portrayed the city's diverse culture, owing to its inhabitants coming from different backgrounds and regions and its status as the country's hub for performing and fine arts.
"The tableaux are selected through a very competitive process and a high-level committee headed by the Defence Secretary makes the selection. All costs for the display of tableaux are borne by the Ministry of Defence," said a Defence Ministry official, when asked why Delhi tableau was not selected this year.
As against last year's 25 tableaux, this year's Republic Day parade will see participation of 23 tableaux including 16 from states.
"A total of 23 tableaux would participate in the parade, with 17 of them belonging to states and the union territories. Besides, six tableaux from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New and Renewable energy, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Communication and IT, Panchayati Raj and Election Commission of India will also be part of the 67th Republic Day parade," the official added.
States registering their presence this year in the tableaux display are Assam, Goa, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Tripura, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat.
