A Chennai based Prasar Bharti official suspended for “inadequate coverage of Modi’s visit to IIT Madras”     

National broadcaster Prasar Bharati has suspended an official working at its regional DD Chennai office for allegedly missing to cover on some parts of PM Modi’s speech when he was in Chennai this week to speak at IIT-Madras. Dated October 1, the order said this official was placed under disciplinary action but has not mentioned any concrete reason for suspension, reported Economic Times.

“Out of the three separate events, bits and pieces were carried but some were left out on DD Podhigai, even though orders were given otherwise. An independent call was made on his part to not air these, which must have led to his suspension,” a top official at Prasar Bharati told The Economic Times on the suspected cause behind this order.

The suspended official could not be reached for comment by The Economic Times. The suspension order instructed this official not to leave the headquarters. The Prasar Bharati official said this meant it was solely to be treated as a suspension order at this office, and not a detention order in general.

Prasar Bharati CEO SS Vempati answered ET’s questions saying he refused to say anything in the matter but added that it was not a practice to say anything on internal administrative matters and divulge certain information. PM Modi, in his visit to Chennai on Monday, made an unplanned, small address to some BJP supporters who had gathered, waiting for him at the airport, remembering his mention of Sangam era Tamil philosophers in his speech at the UNGA. It was Modi’s first visit to Chennai after the BJP won a landslide victory in the General Elections in May this year.