India: State TV logo changed, ‘Tricolor is also in danger’

India’s state-run broadcaster DD News has changed its logo from ruby ​​red to saffron, sparking outrage from opposition political parties as the country’s crucial elections are being held. are

The move by broadcaster Prasar Bharti, the parent organization that runs DD News, has raised concerns about the dwindling press freedom in the country.

The broadcaster officially unveiled the new logo on Tuesday and sought to play down the significance of the move, saying ‘our values ​​remain the same.’

In a post on social media website X, he said, ‘Though our values ​​remain the same, we are now available in a new form. Get ready for a news journey like never before.. Experience the brand new DD News!’

“We have the courage to present: accuracy over speed, facts over claims, truth over sensationalism, because if it’s on DD News, it’s true,” he said.

Opposition political parties have expressed outrage over the new saffron-colored logo and claim that it is an attempt to saffronize the country and its important institutions.

The color saffron is associated with the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has adopted it as its party color and used it on party flags, banners, scarves and clothing. This color also has religious significance among Hindus.

Prasar operates the Indian federal government’s radio and television media outlets, Akashvani All India Radio and Doordarshan (DD) TV respectively.

West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Mamata Banerjee said she was surprised at the sudden change of Doordarshan logo and saffron color during national elections across the country.

Banerjee said, ‘This is totally unethical, totally illegal, and shows the clear bias of the national public broadcaster towards the BJP!’

He termed it a violation of code of conduct as the elections are ongoing and demanded the Election Commission to immediately bring back the previous logo.

Johar Sarkar, former CEO of Prasar Bharti, said he considered DD’s ‘threat to saffronisation’.

According to Sarkar, who is also a Member of Parliament of the opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, ‘Not only the people, now everything about the public broadcaster is saffron. Programs and events of the ruling party get maximum airtime. Opposition parties hardly get any space now.

Critics have also questioned the timing of the decision as national elections in the country began on April 19 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running for a third term.

Trinamool Congress Party spokesperson Shobhankar Bhattacharya said, “They fear that India’s tricolor is also under threat from the ruling party, which wants to paint the entire country in a particular color and that is saffron.”

He said on Times Now that ‘what was the need? This is just to prove your strength to people. They are showing that either you will bow or we will force you to bow.’

An India social media user said that the channel is government owned which means it is public property and political parties should not have the right to take such a ‘biased decision’.

Commenting on this concern, Prasar Bharti CEO Gaurav Dwivedi told The Indian Express that the new logo’s ‘orange color is attractive’ and the decision was based on the rebranding of the Khalsa channel.

“A few months ago, before the G20 summit, we made changes to DD India and chose a set of graphics as the visual language for the channel,” he said.

“Using bright and attractive colors is purely related to the branding and visual aesthetics of the channel, and if anyone sees anything else in it, that’s unfortunate,” he said.

‘It’s not just a new logo, the whole look and feel has been upgraded – we’ve got a new set, new lighting, seating and equipment.’

Last year, India’s state broadcaster signed a two-year deal with the news agency, which is backed by the ideological umbrella organization of the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The public broadcaster signed an exclusive deal with Hindustan Samachar for its daily news feed. Hindustan Samachar is reportedly supported by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological umbrella organization of the ruling BJP.

According to the World Press Freedom Index released in May last year, India’s ranking has risen to 150 out of 180 countries, which was 142 last year.