Mumbai: A TV news anchor has been sacked after she referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as 'Eleven' Jinping, apparently confusing Xi's name with the Roman numerals XI, a senior official at the state television channel said on Friday.
Xi left India on Friday after a visit to boost trade and economic ties that have been marred by a long-standing border dispute. The blooper occurred on a show on Doordarshan news on Wednesday.
"It is an unpardonable mistake," the official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity, saying the anchor was employed on a casual basis. "We have debarred her from news reading for a few months."
The official said a shortage of news readers had forced the channel to run some news bulletins with casuals.
The incident comes at a time when Doordarshan news is trying to reinvent itself to compete with private broadcasters. Its programmes are often a matter of public ridicule for their poor production quality.
The gaffe led to a wave of sarcastic comments on social media.
Doordarshan newsreader reads Xi Jinping as Eleven Jinping;Gets sacked Times Now files fake report about 5 Bharat Ratnas;Gets higher viewship
— IndiaSpeaks (@IndiaSpeaksPR) September 19, 2014How many Jinpings does it take to get a Doordarshan anchor fired? 11
— Frootoo Vajpayee (@Oinkoo) September 19, 2014Now waiting for some newsreader in China to take revenge by referring to Modi as Thousand o' five hundred and one.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) September 19, 2014
