Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accused Centre of “saffronisation of news” while referring to central government’s decision to appoint ‘Hindustan Samachar’ , which has relation with Sangh Parivar, as the sole news source of Prasar Bharati, which includes Doordarshan and Akashvani.
CM Vijayan, in a statement, said that the decision is like “putting a knife in the throat of democracy”.
Pinarayi Vijayan said that Hindustan Samachar , founded by Shivram Shankar Apte, founder general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and RSS leader, has always worked for the Sangh Parivar.
CM in his statement said that the Sangh Parivar has been trying to keep Prasar Bharati under control ever since they came to power.
Alleging that Prasar Bharati stopped the telecast of then Tripura CM Manik Sarkar’s Independence Day speech but telecasted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami speech live, Vijayan said, “In 2020, Centre appointed Jagdish Upasana, who was the group editor of RSS publications Panchjanya and Organiser, as the chairman of Prasar Bharati’s recruitment board.”
The CM further said, “The news is that Prasar Bharati has signed an agreement with RSS News Agency after terminating the services of PTI and UNI, the leading news agencies of the country”.
The CM said that the Centre’s move to bring Doordarshan and Akashvani completely under the control of Sangh Parivar alongside taking control of media through corporates is a threat to democracy. CM alleged that “this is practicalisation of the fascist desire that no voice of dissent should be heard”. The chief minister said that the secular democratic society should recognise and protest against this.
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