Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala State Secretary Binoy Viswam Photo Credit: H. VIBHU
Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala state secretary Binoy Viswam on Friday (March 27, 2026) accused Doordarshan of censoring a portion of its election program that was critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following this, the party has decided to boycott the programme, Mr. Viswam said at a press conference here. He said Doordarshan “should not act as the official mouthpiece of the BJP”.
Doordarshan’s series of election-related programs are meant to provide an opportunity for various political parties to present their election promises and stand on various issues. Mr Viswam said he submitted a detailed note on the content of his presentation on Thursday. However, officials there told him before Friday’s taping that the last two paragraphs of his presentation, which contained criticism of the BJP, had to be removed as per the screening committee’s recommendation.
In the portion that has been removed, he accused the BJP of dividing people along the lines of communities and spreading hatred against particular communities. Those who are victims of such communal attacks are given no legal protection in BJP-ruled states, while the perpetrators are afforded all protection. However, the situation in Kerala is quite different according to the part of the presentation that was removed.
“I provided the text of the program in advance. Censorship of parts of the text was done as per BJP instructions. I have decided to boycott the program as CPI has no intention of speaking what BJP wants to be spoken. BJP has turned Doordarshan and Akashavani into platforms to promote only the ‘Voice of its alleged master Viswam’.”
Published – 27 March 2026 15:10 IST
