The selected cartoons appeared first in other publications, either in print or online, or on social media, and are credited appropriately.
In today’s featured cartoon, R. Prasad delivers a commentary on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decision to initiate action against two of its functionaries following protests by Gulf countries over their remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The illustration alludes to India’s dependence on its Gulf partners for oil, and features the bulldozer — deployed against allegedly illegal constructions and projected as a symbol of law and order by BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere.
E.P. Unny also alludes to the Gulf states’ ability to put pressure on the Indian government, while referring to the ‘foreign hand’ — a spectre frequently invoked by Indian politicians past and present when alleging international conspiracies against the country.
Kirtish Bhatt criticises TV news channels for holding raucous debates in the backdrop of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s objectionable remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, which led to an international backlash. In the illustration, a man can be seen telling someone inside a TV news studio: “Hey, speak softly, the sound is reaching till outside.”
Alok Nirantar takes a dig at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to increase the repo rate by 50 basis points, the second increase in as many months. The move, while aimed at keeping inflation in check, will lead to a surge in EMIs as loans become more costly.
Nala Ponappa comments on the controversy surrounding changes to school history textbooks made by governments in multiple states, which critics have decried as politically motivated and leading to selective interpretations of the past and of historical figures.