Exclusive: DD National instructed to discontinue re-run of series by Yoga instructor Ira Trivedi, other DD channels issued advisory

Yoga Instructor Ira Trivedi

A tweet by Doordarshan (DD National) had inspired outrage on Social Media after Yoga instructor Ira Trivedi was all set to appear on the channel hosting a Yoga show called “Yoga with Ira Trivedi” which was set to air on Friday, 6:30 AM.

https://twitter.com/DDNational/status/1152012677385871360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Soon after the tweet by DD National, several netizens started posting several of Ira Trivedi’s old interviews and tweets where had proven herself to be anti-Hindu. In a 2017 interview that went viral on Social Media, Ira Trivedi had described beef as the ‘cheapest source of protein’. Ira Trivedi was talking about the ban on beef. According to her beef is an important source of protein for the malnourished and that the ban on beef would be unfair, especially to the Muslim community.

Several tweets of hers also went viral where she had proclaimed that the Quran is actually a progressive text and modern Hinduism is regressive.

After the outrage, Shashi Shekhar, who is the CEO of Prasar Bharati had responded to one such netizen taking cognisance of the complaint raised. He had even asked his team to investigate and respond to the complaint.

https://twitter.com/shashidigital/status/1154224719584829440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Speculations of Ira Trivedi being fired from DD National started gaining ground after a tweet by DD National for the same Friday 6:30 AM show indicated that it would be hosted not by Ira Trivedi but Yoga instructor Yagini Muthanna.

https://twitter.com/DDNational/status/1154420035516919809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
According to OpIndia sources, the show by Ira Trivedi that was set to be aired on DD National was a re-run of previously recorded episodes and DD National has now been instructed to discontinue airing the re-runs of the show hosted by Ira Trivedi. Other Doordarshan channels have been sent advisories to that effect.

The series that was hosted by Ira Trivedi was produced by Doordarshan Delhi as part of a series of different yoga programmes produced to highlight yoga prior to the International day of yoga in 2017. The series comprised of 60 episodes, the reruns of which have now been pulled off-air.

Currently, there is no contractual obligation between Doordarshan and Ira Trivedi, confirmed OpIndia sources.

Nupur J Sharma: Editor-in-Chief, OpIndia.