Bhupender Yadav asks House to look into allegations against Tiranga TV channel

The issue of a news channel sacking two employees acquired political colour when BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday asked the House to take cognizance of the issue and requested chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to send it to the ethics committee. The channel, Tiranga TV, is promoted by Congress leader Kapil Sibal and his wife Promila Sibal.

Former employees have alleged that they were fired without ‘proper notice’ and they were not paid dues. Sibal and his wife Promila Sibal have denied the allegations and said the employees have been paid as per stipulation in their contract. Without taking names, Yadav said the matter related to alleged ‘misconduct’ of a member of the House with employees, “particularly women and that if a member of the House was stifling the press, the chairman has the power to send it to the ethics committee.” Raising the issue through a point of order during zero hour, Yadav said, “we do not want to interfere in any private organisation, but there is misbehavior against a woman and employees are not paid, it is responsibility of parliamentarians to protect freedom of speech.” BJP MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar also sought to raise the issue, but Congress members objected saying there was conflict of interest.

Chairman Naidu then asked Chandrasekhar to confine himself to the topic for which he had given notice.