Left parties slam Doordarshan's decision to broadcast Mohan Bhagwat's speech

New Delhi: Condemning Doordarshan's decision to broadcast RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's speech live, Left parties on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government for "misusing" the public broadcaster.

"The RSS uses the occasion to propagate its Hindutva ideology. The national public broadcaster has no business to telecast live the speech of the Chief of an organisation like the RSS," the CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement here.

"Such an action shows how the public broadcaster is being misused by the Modi government," the party said, while condemning Doordarshan's decision to telecast live Bhagwat's speech on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.

The CPI also condemned the live telecast, saying it was a misuse of the public broadcaster for saffron propaganda.

CPI national secretary D Raja said the government, specifically the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, should give an explanation to the people for allowing DD to be the mouthpiece for the RSS.

He said it was "a disquieting and distressing trend that the country's secular and democratic values were undermined by the government action".