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, Manjul, alluding to The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri’s “facts are not facts” comment in an interview with Newslaundry, takes a jibe at the case registered by Delhi Police against AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair over a tweet that allegedly hurt religious sentiments. A fact-checker, Zubair has since also been booked under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, for allegedly receiving foreign donations, as well as Indian Penal Code sections on criminal conspiracy and evidence destruction.
Alok Nirantar takes a dig at how, after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra led by Shiv Sena chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray was brought down by a rebellion of Sena MLAs, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose to back Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde as CM instead of its own leader and ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis. Whether the chief minister’s chair would be occupied by someone from the BJP or the Sena was among the key contentions that led to the former allies parting ways in the aftermath of the 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls.
Sajith Kumar takes a swipe at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde — who worked briefly as an auto-rickshaw driver before taking the political plunge by joining the Shiv Sena — and alludes to the danger of future rebellions like the one that brought him to power.
Sandeep Adhwaryu remarks on Maharashtra CM Shinde overturning the previous MVA government’s decision to relocate a Mumbai Metro car shed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg. Shinde had endorsed the relocation during his tenure as a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray administration.
E.P. Unny underlines the BJP’s aim to expand its footprint in Telangana in the backdrop of the party holding its national executive meet in Hyderabad and having Devendra Fadnavis settle for the post of deputy CM in Maharashtra.