Chennai, Jan 18 (IANS): Actor-turned politician and President of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Seeman has slammed the Centre for rejecting the tableau presented by Tamil Nadu for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

The NTK leader said that the BJP, which has no history of participation in the freedom movement, was trying to undermine the role played by nationalist Tamils in the Indian Independence movement.

Seeman said that the freedom fighters depicted in the tableau presented by the Tamil Nadu government included V.O. Chidambaranar, Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, Maruthar brothers who were executed by the English East India Company, Rani Velu Nachiyar, the first Indian queen who fought against the East India company.

In a statement on Monday, the NTK leader said that all the freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, who were included in the tableau by the Tamil Nadu government to be presented at the Republic Day parade, had suffered immense torture at the hands of the British.

He said that if these freedom fighters were rejected on the basis of lack of national acceptance, no one can be featured in the parade tableaux except Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The NTK leader while speaking to IANS said, "The decision of the central government is highly deplorable and this has inflicted pain on the people of Tamil Nadu. The government should understand that these leaders had sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country and that they had suffered immensely at the hands of the British. Even the home nation not recognising them cannot be accepted."

Seeman also flayed the Centre for not including the West Bengal and Kerala tableaux.