When given names of Mammootty and MT, it straight away went to the dustbin, says Balan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The centre goes mad when heard the word Malayalees, said Minister A K Balan while expressing his dissatisfaction on the rejection of state’s tableau for the Republic Day parade. I don't understand why the center refused permission, he said. The center also rejected the nomination of Kerala for Padma Awards. When names of legends like M T Vasudevan Nair and Mammootty were given, it straight away goes to the dustbin.

The tableau seen by the expert panel was rejected at the last minute. It is not known why the tableau which has an artistic value was avoided. This is the third time Kerala’s tableau is being avoided. But there were obvious reasons earlier. The exclusion of Kerala along with Maharashtra and Bengal is for special political reasons, he told reporters here.