Launched ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, English News channel Tiranga TV that started off as Harvest TV, has landed in fresh turmoil. The channel is alleged to have fired its employees abruptly without serving them any notice. Expressing their displeasure with the channel’s unprofessional ethics, the sacked employees organized a protest outside Kapil Sibal’s house to register their grievance on their sudden dismissal. Sibal, the senior Congress leader is one of the promoters of Tiranga TV.
Handed over a letter with our demands to Mr Sibal and waiting for him to respond and acknowledge our letter. @KapilSibal @ndtv @PMOIndia @RahulGandhi @samachar4media @khanumarfa @IndEditorsGuild @OpIndia_com @ThePrintIndia @TheQuint @ShekharGupta @newslaundry @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/0mUbu33Wxb
— Fired Employees Tiranga TV( @NewsHTN ) (@FiredTv) July 3, 2019
A group of employees whose tenure at Tiranga TV was unexpectedly cut short protested in front of Sibal’s residence in Jor Bagh and submitted a memorandum of appeal to his aide. In the memorandum of appeal, the employees demanded proper compensation before being laid off from the company. According to the employees, they have been offered only one month’s salary, while the norm is to pay at least three months salary.
Outside @KapilSibal residence at Jor Bagh https://t.co/YJAFeDGNOt
— Fired Employees Tiranga TV( @NewsHTN ) (@FiredTv) July 3, 2019
Many journalists who were fired by the channel have alleged that they had left lucrative job offers to join the channel. The employees claimed they were assured before joining that company would run for around 3 years. The move has left them in the lurch as they have no clarity about the situation and have demanded six months salary from the management as compensation.
The ousted scribes have also staged a protest against the invidious decision of the management by protesting in front of Press Club of India, requesting the Editors Guild of India to intervene and alleviate their misery.
Employees of Tiranga TV outside Press Club Of India @IndEditorsGuild @KapilSibal @PrakashJavdekar @BDUTT https://t.co/R4MaBwpl1N
— Fired Employees Tiranga TV( @NewsHTN ) (@FiredTv) July 3, 2019
Tiranga TV senior editor assignment Sushil Kotian claimed that employees across departments and levels are being fired by the channel with just a month’s pay. Fresh graduates hired a month back in May from prestigious institutes such as ACJ have also been shown the door, he stated.
We the employees of @NewsHtn (Tiranga TV) are being fired with just 1 month salary and without any clarity. We would want to meet with @KapilSibal as no one from management has addressed us. @INCIndia @RahulGandhi @PrakashJavdekar @IndEditorsGuild @ShekharGupta @BJP4India
— Sushil Immanuel Kotian (@kotiansushil) July 2, 2019
The media outlet, which had often been severely critical of the Modi government, witnessed the return of many prominent journalists including Barkha Dutt, Karan Thapar, and Punya Prasun Bajpai. The channel was launched on the Republic Day this year as Harvest TV.
Later, Harvest TV was rechristened as Tiranga TV, after the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) allowed Sibal’s channel to use the new name and logo without the colours saffron and green.
