GECs
Maharashtra deputy CM Bhujbal quits over Zee attack
MUMBAI: The attack by alleged National Congress Party (NCP) workers on Zee TV’s offices in Mumbai has led to Maharashtra deputy chief minister and home minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s resignation.
NCP head honcho Sharad Pawar announced at a press conference late 23 December evening that the party had accepted Bhujbal’s decision.
Pawar said that Bhujbal has taken ‘moral responsibility’ for the attack and tendered his resignation. On being queried whether the party was overreacting on a simple matter, Pawar came out strongly saying it was a serious matter. “It is all about media freedom. There has been an attack on media. We don’t take matters such as these lightly,” he said.
Pawar added that Bhujbal said he was not associated with the incident, nor did he condone it, but that he takes the onus for it. “Two journalists have been injured, lady staffers from Zee are in hospital,” Pawar said. “The whole country has been watching. Sloganeering was going on. What is there to investigate?”
Pawar said he spoke to Zee TV CEO Subhash Chandra in the afternoon assuring him that he did not condone the attack and that action would be taken. He said he spoke to Bhujbal later.
Pawar informed that he had been told, the attack today was a reaction by party workers to a recent spoof carried in Alpha Marathi’s show Ghadlay Bighadlay. The show was related to the Telgi stamp paper scam in which Bhujbal is accused of having a hand.
“We did not ask him (Bhujbal) to resign,” Pawar said. “He offered to. The resignation today is related to today’s incident alone of an attack on Zee TV’s office.”
Political analysts however aver that the party finally bowed down to pressure following accusations of his involvement in the multicrore Stamp scam.
Pawar informed journalists that a party worker from the northern Mumbai district of Vile Parle had been identified and arrested by the police for his involvement in the attack. “We have sacked him from the party,” Pawar pointed out.
Earlier in the day, a group of 50-60 NCP members had allegedly stormed into Zee TV’s office in Chintamani Plaza, Andheri, the heart of the television industry in India, and smashed computers, thrashed Zee TV employees.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
