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Tripura CM Manik Sarkar's I-Day Speech Not Blacked Out, Says DD

Written By : ABP News Bureau | Updated at : 16 Aug 2017 03:55 PM (IST)

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DD released a statement denying the allegation saying "it is totally incorrect and is vehemently refuted."

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The text was tweeted by Sitaram Yechury.

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“Great values of secularism have helped in keeping Indians together as a nation. But today, this spirit of secularism is under attack. Conspiracies and attempts are underway to create an undesirable complexity and divisions in our society; to invade our national consciousness in the name of religion, caste and community, by inciting passions to convert India into a particular religious country and in the name of protecting the cow,” a paragraph from the purported speech of Manik Sarkar read.

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Sitaram Yechury, The Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary, claimed that the speech was blacked out “after orders from Delhi”.

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A Tripura government press statement alleged that Doordarshan and AIR had recorded Sarkar's speech on August 12. On August 14 at 7 pm, the Chief Minister's office was informed through a letter that his speech would not be broadcast unless he "reshaped it".

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Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has alleged that Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) refused to broadcast his Independence Day address unless he "reshaped" it and termed it as an "undemocratic, autocratic and intolerant step".