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, Alok Nirantar alludes to the first high-resolution images from NASA’s James Webb Telescope that show SMACS 0723, a galaxy cluster also known as Webb’s First Deep Field, while commenting on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s flight from the country in the face of massive protests.
Sandeep Adhwaryu takes a jibe at the opposition in the context of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena deciding to back National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Droupadi Murmu in the upcoming presidential polls. While joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha’s chances of victory appear to be shrinking, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has gone on a trip to Europe.
R. Prasad makes a reference to the Ramayana as he draws on the ongoing tussle between former Tamil Nadu chief ministers O. Paneerselvam (OPS) and Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) for control of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), while their electoral ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observes the proceedings. With EPS having been named general secretary of the party, OPS has approached the Election Commission of India to dispute the proceedings.
E.P. Unny comments on the controversy over a new statue representing the national emblem, the Ashoka Stambha, placed on the new Parliament building and unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many in the opposition have criticised the sculpture, claiming that it is a more “aggressive” distortion of the original, showing “angry lions with bared fangs”.
Manjul, too, alludes to the controversy over the national emblem.