As Tiranga TV staff face mass firing, Barkha Dutt calls promoter Kapil Sibal a Mallya for treating scribes in ‘hideous way’

While Dutt is associated with the channel, it has been promoted by Sibal, a Congress bigwig and famous legal practitioner.

Barkha Dutt, who once worked with NDTV, said on Twitter: "An appalling situation in @NewsHtn promoted by @KapilSibal & his wife, where more than 200 employees have had equipment confiscated and face sackings without even a 6 month pay out. Man who acts holier than though in public has treated journalists in a hideous way."

Attacking Sibals, she said: "Most people here, gave up other offers or left jobs on an assurance from @KapilSibal of a professionally run newsroom and a minimum tenure of 2 years. Neither husband nor wife have even showed up to talk to staff . But all live programming has been cancelled for 48 hrs."

"Wife, who ran a meat factory, says loudly in the workplace, 'I shut down factory withut giving a paisa to labour, who are these journalists to ask for 6 months salary.' Her labour should have been paid better, but her disparaing remarks of journalists is sickening," Dutt tweeted.

Dutt accused Sibal of ruining the lives of 200 people.

"What is most shameful is that @KapilSibal earns crores every day and wont pay 200 employees the industry norm of 6 months or at least 3 months pay out, ruining the lives of 200 plus people," she said.

Barkha Dutt said Sibal and his wife wanted to use PM Narendra Modi as an excuse to shut the channel by saying that he did not let it run.

"Am told @KapilSibal & wife wanted to use Modi as excuse to sack staff saying Modi didnt let channel run. But to be absolutely blunt. GOI has done nothing. Husband and wife have not faced staff, went on holiday to london, while shutting shop, prompting me to call him Mallya [sic]," Dutt said in a series of tweets.

Barkha Dutt said she has been threatened with defamation for comparing Sibal to fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

"For fighting for rights of staff, I have been threatened with defamation and ordered to 'withdraw my emails' comparing @KapilSibal to Mallya. I have refused. I support the staff of @NewsHtn and will help them fight this legally, with a criminal case and complain," she said.

She said: "Lastly, it would be easy for me to be silent. @KapilSibal owes a lot of us senior staff salary for a year and has refused to pay it. We will fight that legally. But what is more critical is 200 employees whose lives depend on this. Hope @IndEditorsGuild protects this staff."

In a tweet, Barkha Dutt, who is considered as one of the top TV journlaists of the nation, claimed that Sibal and his wife used derogatory language against women journalists.