
NEW DELHI, September 3: Delhi Doordarshan, beginning Monday, will telecast an eight-episode dial-in show, Aap ki Dilli which could turn out to be a public relations exercise for the Delhi government. Elections to the Delhi Assembly are expected to be announced next month.
The show will be in both Hindi and English. It will invite questions on the phone and through postcards. Invited to the studio will be a Delhi Government minister, an Opposition representative and an official of the department concerned. Unfortunately, people in Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the North-east will also have to watch the 8 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. show.
The weekly show will be anchored by Indian Foreign Service officer Deepak Vohra and Rahul Dev. As to whether a Government official like Vohra would be able to handle a politically-sensitive show like this impartially, the show8217;s creator, Deputy Director-General and DD Delhi Kendra head M.B. Pahadi, said: 8220;Why not? He is an IFS officer, not a Delhi Government officer8221;.
Pahadi said there was no question of the show being used as a PR gimmick. 8220;There were several requests for such a show for many months,8221; he said. As for the forthcoming elections, he said he would either suspend the programme for the duration or telescope the remaining episodes before the polls.