In the backdrop of growing criticism in the media over Prasar Bharati’s decision to not broadcast Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s Independence Day speech, India’s Public Service Broadcaster issued a clarification on Wednesday, refuting allegations of blackout of Sarkar’s speech.
In its clarification letter addressed to editors of all national and local dailies, Prasar Bharati claimed to have “given wide coverage”, and the “development activities of the State Government” of Tripura, “running up to 29 minutes and 45 seconds”, “out of which Sarkar’s speech coverage was for 12 minutes”.
The letter also says that the speech and the Independence day programme were give “wide publicity in the Regional News Bulletin”, as it has been doing “over the last 25 years.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the CPI(M) had alleged that Doordarshan refused to broadcast Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's speech and said it would fight this “undeclared Emergency”.
Journalist Indrajit Kundu tweeted a photo of the Prasar Bharati's response to the "subject" raised by the Tripura government. According to the email response, a "collective decision" was taken by Prasar Bharati that the broadcast of the CM's speech will not go on air with "existing content".
Prasar Bharati will be more than happy if the Hon’ble CM agrees to reshape the content making it suitable to the solemnity of the occasion and sentiments of the people of India at large.Sanjiv Dosanjh, Prasar Bharati
The ‘Blacked Out’ Speech
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Doordarshan was “not the private property” of the BJP-RSS and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “instructing his cronies to black out voices” of the Opposition, including that of an elected chief minister.
He also tweeted the complete speech of CM Sarkar.
In his address, the Tripura chief minister addresses various issues from secularism to cow slaughter, touches upon “anti-nationals” and the “anti-people policy of the government at the Centre.”
Unity in diversity is India’s traditional heritage. Great values of secularism have helped in keeping Indians together as a nation. Today, the spirit is under attack. Conspiracies and attempts are underway to create an undesirable complexity and divisions in our society; to invade our national consciousness in the name of religion, caste and community, by inciting passions to convert India into a particular religious country and in the name of protecting the cow.
The excerpt also had the chief minister’s remarks about how his government’s policies were different from the “anti-people” policy of the government at the Centre.
In contrast to the anti-people policies of the Government at the Centre, the State Government of Tripura despite its limitations has been pursuing policies for the welfare of people in all walks of life with special focus on the downtrodden and advance their cooperation. This path has not only been able to attract the people of Tripura but also elicit a positive response from the downtrodden people of the country. This is not being tolerated by the reactionary forces here in Tripura.
CPI(M), Yechury Hit Out At Centre
Yechury hit out at the central government saying the channel's alleged refusal to air Sarkar's speech was “illegal”. Taking to Twitter, the Marxist leader questioned “if this isn’t authoritarianism and undeclared emergency, what is?”
There was no immediate reaction from the Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)