Seeking to steer clear of the controversy over the posting of a CEO for Kalvi TV, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Wednesday said the appointment of Manikandan Boopathi had been put on hold, in deference to the apprehensions expressed from certain quarters about his (ideological) background.
"The appointment has been shelved, and I have issued directions to get to know about the antecedents of the appointee," the Minister said, speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the zonal-level review meeting of the School Education Department.
In the wake of the appointment, a hashtag asking the Minister to resign was trending on Twitter. Taking cognisance of the issue, the Minister said the DMK will not compromise on its principles.
There was a need for a CEO after Kalvi TV added a second channel, he said. "The candidate was chosen through due process after shortlisting 11 out of the 79 applicants, and subsequently, three candidates were identified with the requisite technological expertise,” Mr. Poyyamozhi said.
The choice of the final candidate was made by a five-member committee, comprising a Chief Executive Officer of a television channel, an official in the rank of Joint Director in the School Education Department, the Chief Producer of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, a film director and a journalist, he said.
“We will not make any compromise on this issue. I thank everyone for their comments, suggestions, criticisms and requests,” he said.
