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, Satish Acharya comments on how the Delhi Police allegedly barged into the All India Congress Committee office and manhandled party workers. This came amid massive protests by the Congress over the Enforcement Directorate questioning former party president Rahul Gandhi in a case of alleged money laundering. Acharya alludes to the use of bulldozers as ‘law and order’ machinery by several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s symbolic claim of a “56-inch chest”.
Alok Nirantar draws on Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, son of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackerary, visiting Ayodhya as the Sena seeks to emphasise its Hindutva politics. Aaditya’s uncle, Raj Thackeray — leader of the rival outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) — had been due to visit the temple town earlier this month but cancelled the plan after opposition from a BJP MP over his stance against North Indian migrants in Maharashtra.
R. Prasad comments on a meeting at which opposition parties resolved to nominate a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election on 18 July — seen a symbolic move, with the numbers in the Electoral College not being in their favour. But they couldn’t decide on a specific name, with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar declining to throw his hat into the ring citing his continuing political career.
Manjul takes a jibe at the newly announced ‘Agnipath‘ (‘path of fire’) recruitment scheme for the armed forces, which will involve recruiting soldiers for four years and retaining only 25 per cent of them after this period as career servicemen — which has led to criticism and mass protests over the future prospects of the discharged ‘Agniveers’.
Kirtish Bhatt comments on how Pakistanis have been advised to drink less tea for the sake of the economy. Senior minister Ahsan Iqbal suggested that drinking fewer cuppas could improve Pakistan’s import bills. The cartoon appears to show an Indian politician drinking endless cups of tea to mock Pakistan.