Tiranga TV Employees End Protest

The employees of HTN’s Tiranga TV ended their two-day sit-in on Wednesday after the channel’s management met them mid-way. The agitating members had demanded that they be paid three months’ salary as severance pay.

The channel, which is run by Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s wife Pramila Sibal, abruptly stopped operations just six months after it was launched on January 26. Neither Mr. Sibal nor any of the promoters met the agitating employees. According to one employee, the management which was earlier offering a month’s salary as severance package had increased it.

The BJP MPs indirectly raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday without naming Mr. Sibal. Party MP Bhupender Yadav, during Zero Hour, said, “We do not want to interfere in any private organisation, but if a woman is misbehaved with and the employees are not paid, it is the responsibility of the parliamentarians to protect the freedom of speech.” The matter should be referred to the ethics committee to protect the rights of mediapersons, Mr. Yadav said.―The Hindu