CPI forfeits free Doordarshan slot over censorship row

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI decided to forfeit the free election campaign slot allotted to the party by Doordarshan. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam on Friday said the party state unit decided not to use the free broadcasting opportunity following differences of opinion with conditions laid down by Doordarshan authorities.Viswam said CPI was asked to forgo two paragraphs in the campaign speech, criticising central govt. "Doordarshan is a public broadcasting institution. It's not an institution run by BJP. We were informed that the programme can be recorded after removing the portions that criticise BJP and central govt. Doordarshan made the suggestion, based on the recommendations of the vetting committee. Since we were told that the edited portion of the programme script can't be recorded, CPI decided not to participate in the programme," Viswam said.He alleged that editing the text was done to please BJP and its govt at Centre. He said Modi govt had reduced Doordarshan and Akashvani to instruments for amplifying the sound of "the master's voice", and it was highly condemnable.