In a new development in the crisis in the Kapil Sibal backed Tiranga TV, journalists working in the channel have alleged that Sibal has sent bouncers to intimidate the protesting employees of the channel. Antra Mudgal, a journalist working with the channel tweeted photos of two bouncers sitting in the office of the channel.
After not addressing the staffers in regards to their severance pay, @KapilSibal has sent bouncers to intimidate the employees who are quietly sitting in the office on a peaceful protest! Creating fear, intimidating journalists..what next? @BDUTT pic.twitter.com/ifbDpFCQfK
— ANTRA MUDGAL (@mudgalntra) July 15, 2019
Mudgal said that the employees are quietly sitting in the office on a peaceful protest. Tiranga TV’s senior anchor Barkha Dutt also said that the employees are on an all-night sit in dharna demanding a six month payout. She also said that the situation needs urgent intervention of Editors Guild of India and Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Bouncers at @NewsHtn office sent in by @KapilSibal and wife tweet protesting colleagues who are on an all night sit in dharna demanding a six month pay out. Need I say more. This needs the urgent intervention of @IndEditorsGuild @PrakashJavdekar https://t.co/I7cvNKP8in
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) July 15, 2019
Another Tiranga TV Journalist Swati Garg posted a video showing the bouncers in the officer of the channel. She said, “Your cheap Vakeel tricks won’t work this time
Kapil Sibal sir. We will make a point to expose you”.
Sending bouncers to intimidate us? Your cheap Vakeel tricks won’t work this time @KapilSibal sir. We will make a point to expose you.@BDUTT @FiredTv pic.twitter.com/wFcPy4FpSm
— Swati Garg (@ISwatiGarg) July 15, 2019
Swati also informed that the journalists won’t leave the newsroom until Kapil Sibal accepts their demand. She said that sending bouncers won’t help, as they are not uncivilised mob which will vandalise office property or equipment. “We are journalists, resorting to violence is never an option for us”, Swati Garg Tweeted.
Antra Mudgal also said that in hindsight, the situation at the channel was inevitable. She says that there was no sales/marketing department in the channel, there were no official terms and contracts of employment, and there were many issues with the way the channel was run.
Earlier in the day, controversial journalist Barkha Dutt had made explosive revelations about the plight of journalists including herself employed at the Kapil Sibal promoted Tiranga TV. She had confirmed that about 200 employees of the channel were sacked without adequate compensation. She had also revealed that Kapil Sibal and his wife had planned to blame Modi for the crisis at the channel, and added that there was no interference in the channel from the union government.
Earlier this month, sacked employees of Tiranga TV staged a protest outside Kapil Sibal’s residence, demanding 6-month pay as compensation for their abrupt removal. They had also met Shekhar Gupta and submitted a memorandum to the Editors Guild of India. Journalists who have been fired from the organisation have contended that they were promised and assured a minimum of 2 years employment at Tiranga TV and after the Lok Sabha elections, which were manifestly disastrous for Congress, the channel proceeded on to an insidious track of firing the employees without following the due procedures.
