Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin joined the latest list of Opposition leaders who criticised the recent logo change of the public broadcaster Doordarshan, condemning it as a move towards the BJP’s alleged agenda of saffronizing institutions.
DD News, the flagship channel of state-run Doordarshan, unveiled its new official logo — changing its colour from ruby red to saffron, leading to Opposition parties calling it “grossly illegal” and as showing a “pro-BJP bias.”
In a post on X, Stalin on Sunday said, “Doordarshan has been given a “saffron stain”. There was a “BJP conspiracy to saffronise everything”, he said.
“These (steps like logo change) are a precursor to that. The 2024 Lok Sabha election outcome will show the public rising up against such fascism,” he added.
He recalled that earlier Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar was “saffronised” and added that “saffron paint was poured on statues of great leaders of Tamil Nadu.”
The public broadcaster unveiled the “new look” DD News on Tuesday evening.
DD News posted on its official X handle a video of its new logo along with a message: “While our values remain the same, we are now available in a new avatar. Get ready for a news journey like never before. Experience the all-new DD News!”
“We have the courage to put: Accuracy over speed, Facts over claims, Truth over sensationalism…Because if it is on DD News, it is the truth! DD News – Bharosa Sach Ka,” it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dubbed it as an attempt at “saffronisation” of Doordarshan during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
“I am shocked at the sudden saffronisation and change of colour of our Doordarshan logo when the national elections are taking place across the country! It is absolutely unethical, grossly illegal, and speaks loudly of the pro-BJP bias of the national public broadcaster,” Banerjee said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, who was the CEO of Prasar Bharati between 2012 and 2014, said, “National broadcaster Doordarshan colours its historic flagship logo in saffron! As its ex-CEO, I have been watching its saffronisation with alarm and feel — it’s not Prasar Bharati any more, it’s Prachar (publicity) Bharati!”
Meanwhile, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur took a jibe at Banerjee, saying her love for “saffron” is “publicly known” while the BJP termed the change as a “homecoming”, contending that the saffron logo was tested in 1982.
BJP’s IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said India got colour TV in 1982 and Doordarshan became the national broadcaster the same year.
“This is how it was launched. Saffron. We just reclaimed it,” Malviya said on X, sharing a clip of the promo of Doordarshan from yesteryears.
“On Doordarshan’s saffron colour — it was tested way back in 1982. So, don’t be shocked and find out who changed it to blue. This is nothing but a homecoming for the national broadcaster,” Malviya said.