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NDTV exclusive with Farooq Abdullah

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MUMBAI: In an exclusive interview on NDTV’s One on One, Farooq Abdullah talks to Vir Sanghvi about his desire to be the next President of India, about how he was betrayed by A.B. Vajpayee and the NDA government, about the complex relationship between the Abdullahs and the Nehru-Gandhi family, about his conviction that the Pakistan government is actively involved in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and about his reputation as a ladies man.

 

Watch Vir Sanghvi host ‘One on One’ with the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, on Saturday, December 2, 2006, at 9.30 pm on NDTV 24X7.

Farooq Abdullah says he would like to be President when the post falls vacant. However, he says he will not lobby for the post or `run after it’, but if it was offered to him then he would `love it’. He says that he was offered the post by A.B. Vajpayee the last time around and believed that he would be the NDA’s candidate for President. But not only did this not happen, nobody told him that he would not be the candidate. He only discovered this, he said, “When the nomination of the other person was filed. That is when I found out that I was not there.”

It was because he believed that he would be the next President, he says, that he did not campaign fully in the last assembly elections in Kashmir. “If I had canvassed in the election, then my party would have won,” he declared. Instead, he explained, he went off to South Africa at a crucial time in the campaign.

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Should he be President of India now, Dr Abdullah said, “I would like to speak my mind to the government of the day.” He claimed that there were many issues that even Dr Abdul Kalam was not able to express a view on. When asked what these issues were, he declined to explain.

 

Asked about his own reputation as a man who is incapable of concentration, Farooq Abdullah denied that he had `an attention span of 30 seconds’ or ‘ants in his pants’. In his defence, he argued, “If that was true, I would not have lasted so long.”

 

About the perception that he is a ladies man, Dr Abdullah was categorical. “I am not a gay person. I am not a homosexual,” he said. “I do not do anything under the carpet because God sees everything you do.”

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Speaking about how Pakistan is playing host and fuelling terrorist activities, Mr Abdullah said, “I think we would be making our own weapons, we would be having all those grenades, and there would be an advanced state in the country. Unfortunately we are not that advanced to make all these weapons. They are coming across the border. The training camps they have there and have had in the past in many parts of Pakistan. Many of them are still active. In Pakistan, no movement can take place unless the Government allows them. Camps are there, people are trained there. And unless, literally, you come to some sort of a settlement with Pakistan, don’t be under any illusion that you are going to get peace in Kashmir or in the rest of the country.”

 

Asked whom he would blame for the Kashmir fiasco, Farooq Abdullah said, “Oh, I would blame a number of them. There’s Jagmohan, who was the prime mover of the things. He killed people…He ordered the crackdown on the people there. And I’m sure he’s the one who is responsible for supplying trucks when the Hindus were moved. He may deny it.”

 
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Zabeen signs off from TV9 after shaping the network’s public voice

Communications leader exits after three years spanning MD office strategy and media outreach.

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MUMBAI: After more than three years of shaping the message behind the microphone, Sana Zabeen has moved on from TV9 Network, closing a chapter that saw her play a central role in the broadcaster’s communications and media strategy.

Zabeen most recently served as lead of PR and communication and media relations, a role she took on in April 2024. From the managing director’s office, she steered brand communication, managed media engagement and sharpened institutional messaging at a time when news networks have been under constant public and industry scrutiny.

Before that, she worked in communication and outreach within the MD’s office between January 2023 and April 2024, contributing to strategic positioning and stakeholder communication as the network expanded its footprint and narrative.

Her exit marks the end of a stint that built on a diverse media and marketing career. Prior to joining TV9, Zabeen was head of content and marketing at Nikology, where she led brand-led content strategies, media positioning and revenue-focused communication initiatives.

She has also held leadership roles at Bada Business Pvt. Ltd. as senior project manager, and spent over five years at Times Network, working in branded content and collaborating closely with marquee advertisers on integrated media solutions.

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Earlier in her career, Zabeen was associate producer at CNBC TV18, where she produced large-format branded properties and business features. She began her journalism journey as a correspondent covering enterprise technology with Web18 and Mobile18, laying a reporting foundation that later informed her strategic communications work.

As Zabeen turns the page, her trajectory reflects a professional who has moved fluidly between newsroom, branded content and boardroom communication, a mix that has become increasingly valuable in today’s media ecosystem.

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TVF appoints Amritansh Vajpeyee as associate producer/ head – new initiatives, strategy, IP & growth

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MUMBAI: The Viral Fever (TVF) has handed a wider mandate to Amritansh Vajpeyee, elevating him to associate producer and head of new initiatives, strategy, IP and growth, as the digital studio sharpens its push on original intellectual property and scalable formats.

The move crowns a swift in-house ascent. Vajpeyee has spent over three years at TVF, working across the president’s office, the executive producer’s office and development and innovation, before a stint as AVP. Each role tightened his grip on the levers of content, strategy and incubation inside one of India’s most influential youth-focused studios.

Before TVF, Vajpeyee built a hybrid profile straddling storytelling and law. He wrote for Pratilipi, trained in entertainment law at DSK Legal and handled IP-focused roles at TINNUTS and research centres linked to NLSIU Bengaluru. Early internships at SVF Entertainment and Hoichoi added on-ground exposure to production ecosystems, while a brief stint at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited rounded out a varied start.

For TVF, the elevation signals a preference for home-grown leaders who understand both the creative and commercial maths of streaming. For Vajpeyee, it is a bet that breadth beats linearity in the creator economy.

As platforms chase durable franchises over fleeting hits, TVF is doubling down on people who can spot, shape and scale ideas. Vajpeyee now sits at that crossroads—where scripts meet spreadsheets and IP is the real star.

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Sanjeev Sharma appointed head of government sales at ABP Network

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NOIDA: ABP Network has strengthened its government-facing business with the appointment of Sanjeev Sharma as head of government sales, adding an experienced hand to its senior commercial leadership.

Sharma joins the broadcaster after a stint of over a year at Zee Media, where he served as business head for government sales. There, he worked closely with public sector advertisers and agencies, navigating the intersection of policy, media strategy and large-scale outreach.

In his new role at ABP Network, Sharma will be responsible for driving government advertising initiatives across the group’s platforms, aligning public communication goals with the network’s expansive news and digital footprint.

Sharma brings with him nearly three decades of experience in sales and marketing. Over the years, he has held senior leadership roles across the media and pharmaceutical sectors, working with prominent organisations including Network18 Media, Star India, Reliance Broadcast Network, Nicholas Piramal and Zydus Cadila.

At ABP Network, Sharma is expected to play a key role in sharpening the group’s government sales strategy, ensuring it speaks clearly, consistently and effectively to one of the media industry’s most influential stakeholders.

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