Doordarshan sparks row with ‘Gaddar’ poster featuring Kharge, Imran Masood, Arshad Madani
New Delhi, May 8: The Congress party has launched a sharp attack against public broadcaster Doordarshan for promoting a prime-time debate programme using a controversial poster that labelled several prominent figures—including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood, and Islamic scholar Arshad Madani—as “gaddar” (traitors). The party called the move insulting, divisive, and unacceptable during a time of national crisis, demanding an immediate apology from Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The outrage began after Doordarshan anchor Ashok Shrivastava shared a promotional poster on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on May 6. The graphic included the faces of Kharge, Masood, and Madani with the caption: “India is ready but how many traitors are in the House?” This was in reference to Shrivastava’s debate show aired on Doordarshan, a government-funded broadcaster that is expected to maintain neutrality and uphold public service broadcasting standards.
Congress leaders strongly objected to the tone and content of the promotion, questioning how a national broadcaster could resort to such provocative and polarising messaging, especially when the country is facing security challenges.
“Unacceptable and Dangerous,” Says Congress
Reacting strongly, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said, “The kind of pathetic, insulting and dangerous narrative being run by Doordarshan is unacceptable. Labelling Kharge-ji and MP Imran Masood-ji as ‘gaddar’ is extremely divisive and completely out of place as we face a national crisis.”
Venugopal also pointed out that the Congress president has been working closely with the government and security forces since the Pahalgam terror attack. “We are together with the government at this critical juncture. It should ensure no such scurrilous message is sent out from its official or unofficial channels. Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw must extend an unconditional apology immediately,” he said in a post on X.
Targeting of Muslim Leaders Raises Concerns
What has further raised eyebrows is the inclusion of Islamic scholar Arshad Madani in the same graphic. Madani is the principal of the prestigious Darul Uloom Deoband and is a respected religious figure. Critics have asked how a public service broadcaster could justify grouping opposition political leaders and religious scholars under a label that questions their loyalty to the country.
Several users on social media, along with opposition leaders, highlighted that the visuals and captions used in the promotion were not only inflammatory but also carried communal undertones.
Manickam Tagore Also Demands Apology
Echoing Venugopal’s concerns, Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Manickam Tagore said, “Calling Leader of Opposition @kharge ji and Lok Sabha colleague @ImranMasood ‘Gaddar’ on Doordarshan is disgraceful & divisive. Congress stands with the nation in this crisis. Reel minister @AshwiniVaishnaw must apologise unconditionally.”
Criticism Over Use of Public Platform for Political Gimmicks
Political observers and media experts have also raised concerns over the editorial independence of Doordarshan. “This is not just about one show or one anchor,” said a senior media analyst. “The question is whether a taxpayer-funded broadcaster can be allowed to run such political propaganda. When opposition leaders and respected religious figures are openly vilified on government platforms, it’s a serious blow to democratic discourse.”
There has been no official response yet from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or from Doordarshan regarding the controversy.
As the outrage grows, many have demanded clarity on who approved the visuals and messaging for the programme. Opposition parties say this episode reflects a growing trend of weaponising state media to discredit dissenting voices and minority communities, even during times of national security concerns.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
