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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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3 dead, several trapped after six-storey building collapses in Delhi, rescue operations continue

Three people died and two were critically injured after a six-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan. Several others are feared trapped.

Published

1 hour ago

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September 6, 2026

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Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a six-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Several more people are feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue at the site.

Nine people have been rescued so far, while authorities are searching for others who may still be trapped. The building, which was being used as a 75-bed paying guest accommodation, collapsed at around 1:30 pm, according to officials.

Building was being used as a PG accommodation

According to police, the building was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a paying guest accommodation, with repair work reportedly underway in the basement when the collapse occurred.

The building was located in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area with a large student population.

An eyewitness said at least 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed. A student at the scene also reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Rescue operation underway

Teams from the Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority have been deployed for the rescue operation.

At least 12 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. An excavator has also been deployed, while additional machinery is being brought in to remove concrete slabs and girders from the debris.

Locals were also seen helping with the initial search before rescue teams and machinery reached the site.

The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that rescue work was being carried out on a war footing and that authorities were coordinating efforts to assist those affected.

Government agencies coordinate rescue efforts

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said concerned agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, had been directed to work together to ensure swift rescue operations.

Local BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was at the site, said some students were still believed to be trapped and that some were reportedly making calls from inside the collapsed structure.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed alleged corruption for the incident and raised questions about building safety and inspections. His comments were political allegations and no official cause for the collapse has been established in the report.

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

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10 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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