National broadcaster Doordarshan has changed the colour of its historic flagship logo from red to saffron. The announcement was made through the official X handle of DD News, which in a post, said, "While our values remain the same, we are now available in a new avatar."

However, the Opposition is seeing red over the change.

The move was slammed by member of the Rajya Sabha and ex-CEO of Prasar Bharati (DD, AIR), Jawhar Sircar, who said he has been watching the national broadcaster's "saffronisation".

Congress's Manish Tewari, who was the Information and Broadcasting Minister from 2012 to 2014, alleged the logo colour change was the government's attempt to capture government institutions.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today TV, Tewari said, "This is an attempt on the part of the government to saffronism and capture the government institutuins. The said move clearly undermines the neutrality and credibility of India's public broadcaster."

Defending the national broadcaster's move, Prasar Bharti CEO, Gaurav Dwivedi, said that the new logo is a catchy orange colour. This is a change of visual aesthetic.

Meanwhile, sources with Prasar Bharti told India Today TV that equating the new logo as a colour associated with the BJP was "incorrect".

HISTORY OF DOORDARSHAN

Doordarshan was first aired on September 15, 1959, as a public service telecasting service. It became a broadcaster with daily transmissions of morning and evening shows in 1965, having transmission in Delhi.

Source: India Today