Three Doordarshan engineers and two lighting assistants, all small fries, were suspended by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting after the Prime Minister “theek hai” speech. But their seniors, who were absent from office at the time of the Prime Minister recording have not been touched. They include head cameraman Indu Dang, cameraman Bansi Lal Dogra, deputy director of assignment Dharmendra Tiwari, director of assignment Kanchan Prasad, and ADG (additional director general) assignment Satendra Prakash. Only R.N. Misra, who recently joined Doordarshan News as ADG, was transferred to the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
S.M. Khan, the director general of news, was let off with a warning. Khan has been since sitting in the DD newsroom, personally monitoring news bulletins.
In another case, action was initiated against Rina Sonowal Kauli, editor of the magazine Yojana, published by the I&B Ministry’s publication division. She was transferred to the HRD ministry for carrying an obituary of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray in the December issue. But no action was taken against Ira Joshi, who heads the publication division as ADG.