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Paritosh Parasher in Sydney
India's former prime minister Indira Gandhi's name has led to a tussle between a contestant and producers of an Australian television quiz show.
Geoff Rothberg is reported to be considering legal action against the producers of the Channel Seven quiz show, The Weakest Link, for rejecting his answer 'Gandhi' when asked which Indian political leader was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
The failure to provide the first name of the former Indian prime minister cost Rothberg Australian $25,000 on Monday night's show.
He had managed to reach the final stage where two contestants are asked five questions each and the one with more correct replies takes home all the prize money, which has been accumulated over eight rounds.
The show starts with nine contenders and one contestant is made to take the "walk of shame" after each round.
On Monday night, the opponent walked home with the booty as host Cornelia Frances dashed Rothberg's hopes saying: "That answer is incorrect. The correct answer is Indira Gandhi."
Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper quoted Rothberg as saying that public reaction to the treatment meted out to him had made him seriously consider legal action.
"So many people out there are saying I've been dudded or wronged. While I feel disappointed by the fact that I didn't win the money, I feel more disappointed that the answer I gave was correct and they said it was wrong," he told the newspaper.
Rothberg did not give up after losing in the show and contacted the producers to rectify the situation as he was sure his answer "Gandhi" should have been accepted. But, to his disappointment, the producers decided to stick to the show adjudicator's decision.
They also said three Indian political leaders with the surname Gandhi had been assassinated and the right answer would definitely have included first name.
While Mahatma Gandhi fell to a religious zealot's bullets in 1948, Indira's son and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was blown up by a suicide bomber in 1991.
Indo-Asian News Service
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