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Manik Sarkar was indeed asked to “reshape” I-Day speech, admits DD protocol officer

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9 years ago

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Manik Sarkar

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Committee of four senior AIR officers discussed the contents of the speech and consulted Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati about its broadcast. The committee and Vempati decided that the speech did not adhere to the Broadcast Code and communication was sent to Sarkar’s office that he should “reshape the content” of his speech, otherwise the “broadcast may not go with its existing content”

Two days after the Prasar Bharati administration triggered a political uproar by deciding to black out Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar’s Independence Day speech, a Doordarshan official who was present during the recording of the address revealed to a national daily that the autonomous body which controls DD and AIR did indeed ask for the speech to be “reshaped”.

The broadcast of Sarkar’s speech, in which he asserts, among other things, that India’s “spirit of secularism is under attack”, was blocked on instructions of the Prasar Bharati administration apparently because it did not maintain the “sanctity and solemnity” of Independence Day.

UK Sahoo, Doordarshan’s protocol officer who was present during the recording of Sarkar’s ‘controversial speech’ spoke to The Indian Express and explained what led to the decision for not broadcasting it.

On the evening of August 14, Doordarshan and All India Radio had recorded Sarkar’s speech. The Indian Express report states that Sahoo was asked by Sarkar to “maintain the quality and content” of his speech, effectively meaning that no part of it should be edited. However, since Sahoo felt that the speech was controversial, he spoke to officials at Doordarshan’s directorate in New Delhi who asked him to send the transcript of the speech to them and AIR officials.

“At the AIR headquarters, a committee of four senior officers pondered on the contents of the speech. AIR Director General Fayyaz Sheheryar consulted Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati on what should be done. The committee and Vempati decided that the speech did not adhere to the Broadcast Code, and told their office in Agartala that the Chief Minister will need to ‘reshape the content’ of his speech, otherwise the ‘broadcast may not go with its existing content’, keeping in view the ‘sanctity and solemnity’ of Independence Day”, the report in the Indian Express says.

Sahoo’s detail of the events that unfolded on the eve of Independence Day corroborate the version that Sarkar’s office had maintained all along. Sarkar’s office had also communicated to the Prasar Bharati officials that he would “not change a word” of his address – another fact that was confirmed by Sanjiv Dosajh, Assistant Director of Programmes (Policy) at AIR, who emailed the broadcaster’s Agartala office about the committee’s decision.

Dosajh insisted that in the past too, CMs have been advised to “modify” some speeches, to which they have agreed but added that Sarkar “was very firm (that) he would not change (his speech).” The AIR official added that the committee had found some instances in Sarkar’s speech which were not “very positive” and were seen as a violation of the AIR broadcast code.

However, a look at the AIR broadcast code shows that Prasar Bharati perhaps erred in its judgement of what the code stipulates since it clearly mentions that “no content should be aired that criticises friendly countries, attacks any religion or community, is obscene or defamatory, incites violence or goes against law and order, amounts to contempt of court, casts aspersions against the integrity of the President or judiciary, or can affect the integrity of the country and criticises any person by name”. None of these criteria seem to be violated in Sarkar’s address which did not attack any individual and actually spoke of the need to preserve the secular ethos of India.

In his address, Sarkar had said: “conspiracies and attempts are under way 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 religion country and in the name of protecting the cow”.

Sahoo told The Indian Express that he had emailed Sarkar’s official staff on the evening of August 14 about the committee decision to not broadcast his speech unless it was reshaped to fit the parameters of the broadcast code, but did not receive a response.

Sarkar’s party – the CPI(M) – however, isn’t impressed with the explanation. Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who had shared the full text of Sarkar’s speech on Twitter and blamed “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cronies in the BJP” for censoring the address, said: “Prime Minister or the Chief Ministers have the right to speak. If they have said anything objectionable, they will be questioned in Parliament or in state legislatures. What the Chief Minister would have said in his address, that would have been questioned on the floor of the Tripura Assembly. You (Prasar Bharati) cannot pre-emptively censor him.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

Published

22 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

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Assam flood death toll rises to 66, over 6.5 lakh people still affected

Assam’s flood situation improved slightly on Saturday, but more than 6.54 lakh people remain affected in six districts. Four fresh deaths have pushed the state’s flood toll to 66.

Published

22 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Assam floods

The flood situation in Assam showed marginal improvement on Saturday, though the disaster continued to impact more than 6.54 lakh people across six districts. Four more deaths were reported during the day, taking the total number of fatalities in this year’s floods to 66.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three of the latest deaths were reported from Sivasagar district, while one person lost their life in Charaideo.

The number of affected people declined from over 7.05 lakh across nine districts on Friday to 6,54,800 across six districts on Saturday, indicating a gradual improvement in the overall situation.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected districts, Sivasagar continues to be the worst hit, with nearly 2.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. Charaideo follows with around 1.9 lakh affected residents, while more than 1.3 lakh people remain affected in Jorhat.

The other districts still facing flood-related challenges are Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Nagaon.

Relief operations continue across affected areas

The ASDMA said the state administration is operating 274 relief camps and aid distribution centres across the affected districts. Around 18,902 displaced people are currently taking shelter at these facilities.

The latest daily bulletin also stated that floodwaters have inundated 810 villages across the state, while 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damage.

Rivers flowing above danger level

The floods have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several areas.

Authorities said the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh are flowing above the danger level, and officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

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UP Government forms new SIT led by 3 IPS officers to probe Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a new SIT led by three IPS officers to investigate the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case in Ayodhya following Supreme Court directions.

Published

22 hours ago

on

July 26, 2026

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Ram Mandir

The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG Kiran S, with DIG Somen Verma and SSP Dr Gaurav Grover as members, to investigate the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. 

The move comes after directions from the Supreme Court, which sought a reconstituted investigation team to ensure an independent and comprehensive probe into the allegations.

The newly formed SIT is expected to continue the investigation and submit a status report before the Supreme Court on July 27.

Senior IPS officers to lead the probe

According to the state government, the investigation will now be supervised by senior IPS officers.  The revamped SIT has been tasked with examining all aspects of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations and carrying the investigation forward.

The Supreme Court had observed that criminal investigations and technical examination of theft-related cases are more effectively handled by experienced police officers, leading to the reconstitution of the SIT under senior IPS leadership.

Probe to continue under court supervision

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of offerings (chadhava) donated by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation and will review the SIT’s status report at the next hearing.

Authorities are expected to continue examining evidence collected during the earlier stages of the investigation as the newly constituted SIT proceeds with the case.

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