Welcome, dear reader! Another week has gone, and our focal point of interest - Indian politics- has yet again not disappointed us with its drama, theatrics, and potboiling plots. The only thing that has somewhat rivalled the Great Indian Political Theatre is none other than Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan.
However, the movie too has found itself in the middle of some political mudslinging, but more on that later.
Among the major political developments in the country, mention must be made of the I.N.D.I.A bloc deciding that they would not be sending representatives to certain TV news channels. Meanwhile, India hosted the G20 Summit where world leaders welcomed the Delhi Declaration. Bypoll results in a number of Assembly seats around the country were also announced.
Some of the events this week were more of a continuation of last week’s political drama, with PM Modi finally speaking up on the Sanatan Dharma row, the Maratha reservation situation flaring up among other things.
G20: A lot can happen over millet-based dishes
India was the president of this year’s G20 Summit and hosted leaders from around the world to discuss various issues on the theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ (kind of similar to BJP’s proposed One Nation, One Election, no?).
When the I.N.D.I.A bloc slammed the BJP for not inviting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for the G20 dinner, the BJP did not utter a single word about it, probably so that the situation does not flare up and our beloved Modiji does not have to face questions like why the Opposition leader of the world’s biggest democracy, who is entitled to all the perks given to a Union minister, was not invited to the dinner.
However, the summit proved to be a success, especially for India, because it paved way for the Delhi Declaration. It apparently took 200 hours to get all world leaders to agree to not criticise Russia directly for the Ukraine war and instead make a milder appeal for peace.
Russia has hailed the declaration, saying that the Global South has not allowed the ‘Ukrainising’ of the G20 Summit.
Many interesting moments cropped up during and after the summit, with one being the picture of British PM Rishi Sunak holding an umbrella for his wife as they visited the Akshardham Temple. On the other hand, a recently separated Justin Trudeau was left behind in India due to a technical snag his flight experienced. Guessing when luck is cruel, it does hit you from different angles.
Another interesting thing that has come to our attention regarding the G20 Summit is that the while the Union government, which, in accordance with the BJP, is trying to portray Mughals as "invaders" and "looters", could not help but praise Akbar in a booklet given to foreign dignitaries that makes them aware of India’s rich cultural heritage. As far as we know, “Use and Dispose” was not the theme of this year’s summit.
Besides the glory of India that was on display throughout the length of the summit, reports also surfaced regarding flooding at the venue, Bharat Mandapam, after heavy rains.
Modiji and BJP were also targetted by the Opposition on the day the PM was being given a grand reception at the latter’s party office. However, it was also the day on which three defense officials lost their lives in action in Jammu and Kashmir. This led to the Opposition slamming the PM and his party, and even labelling them as "insensitive".
Special session of the Parliament:
The Centre, after a prolonged wait, has finally unveiled the agenda for the special session of the Parliament that is scheduled to commence from September 18. There will be discussions on India’s “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings”.
Keen-eyed readers will surely notice how the Centre is not using the English ‘Constituent Assembly’, and like its propagation of the name ‘Bharat’, has instead resorted to using a Hindi equivalent in this case as well.
Besides this discussion, a number of bills will also need to be passed in the upcoming session.
The Opposition, for its part, has taken a dig at the Centre post this announcement. Congress's Jairam Ramesh said that the Centre has only made the announcement “after pressure from Smt. Sonia Gandhi's letter to the Prime Minister”.
Moreover, TMC’s Derek O’Brien has said that the Centre has not revealed the full agenda of the special session, and might have some “dirty tricks” up its sleeve.
Miffed I.N.D.I.A puts certain journalists, media outlets on its blacklist
The I.N.D.I.A bloc, post a meeting held on September 13 at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, revealed they have decided to stop sending their representatives to certain TV channels that they believe are propagating the BJP’s agenda.
The list includes the names of 14 news anchors, with big names like Sudhir Chaudhry and Arnab Goswami featuring in it. As the Opposition bloc tries to play the political game of equating themselves with the country, what will the nation now want to know after their absence from the debates hosted by these anchors?
Sanatan Dharma row: The drama that keeps giving
After playing host to world leaders in the recently concluded G20 Summit, PM Modi has finally spoken his mind on the Sanatan Dharma row that has been raging throughout the week. Before this, the PM had kept mum about this burning issue (Anyone remembers his staunch silence on Manipur before the video of two women being paraded naked went viral?)
Unlike the Manipur incident, this could have been a trump card the PM could have used since the fateful day when Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the "eradication" of Sanatan Dharma. However, the G20 spirit of meeting leaders like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and US President Joe Biden might have kept him from launching his attacks against the Congress and its allies.
In another interesting case, Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hit the headlines this week after he said that he will “gouge out the eyes” and “pull out the tongue” of anyone who attempts to speak against Sanatan Dharma. I’ll leave you, the reader, to ponder whether a Union minister openly giving such threats to a comment made by a fellow politician is befitting of his position.
The hurdles of Himanta
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who always remains in news because of his brutal attacks against the Opposition, has now found himself in a soup. The Assam opposition has alleged that a company linked to his wife has received around Rs 10 crore in central subsidy.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has also claimed that the government website bears proof that his wife indeed benefited from a credit-linked scheme, but Himanta has been hell-bent in his view that his wife did not take any such subsidy, and has even said that if someone is able to prove that she did, he will quit politics forever.
BJP tries to break up I.N.D.I.A, bypolls become the secret of their energy
Despite contesting against each other in a number of Assembly seats that went to bypolls this time around, the I.N.D.I.A bloc has performed considerably well. The only considerable victories BJP managed were - two in Tripura and one in Uttarakhand.
However, we must give credit where it is due. In a desperate attempt to make sure the Opposition alliance does not have to be referred to as “I.N.D.I.A” in their speeches, the BJP has conjured up a clever bypass. All of their social media posts and speeches are now calling the recently formed bloc “I.N.D.I Alliance”. Although Harrison Ford and Spielberg might have an issue with it, this ingenious attempt is rather cute, eh?
Chandrababu lands in jail
Considered one of the doyens of Andhra politics, veteram TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu was arrested this week in the alleged skill development scam case. Tensions were rift in Andhra following his arrest, with the TDP even calling for a bandh. The veteran politician has filed bail pleas, and now it remains to be seen what the court decides.
TMC’s tussles with Governors continue
The time when now Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was the West Bengal governor, saw him clashing with the Mamata Banerjee-led WB government on several occasions. The state government claimed that the Governor had not acted according to norms, while Dhankhar openly accused them of malpractice.
Some things never change, and so has the relationship between the new Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and the state government. This week (September 9), TMC minister Bratya Basu, in a veiled dig at Bose, wrote on X, “New Vampire in the town! Citizens please watch yourselves”, in a reference to the former earlier saying that he would be taking some steps at midnight.
Moreover, TMC MP and the CM’s nephew, Abhishek, who had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate on September 13, has said that he was summoned on a particular day to ensure he is unable to attend the I.N.D.I.A meeting that took place at Kharge’s house.
Other hues across the political spectrum
Besides these major highlights, the Eknath Shinde-led dispensation in Maharashtra heaved a sigh of relief as Jalna-based activist Manoj Jarange Patil called off his 17-day hunger strike this week after the Chief Minister met him at the protest site and assured that the government was committed to providing reservation to the Maratha community.
In neighbouring Telangana, Union minister Kishan Reddy was also on a 24-hour fast to protest unemployment in Telangana.
Congress or BJP, everyone needs SRK
The film Jawan has created ripples both across the box office and in politics. The BJP has recently alleged that the latest Atlee directorial was a scathing attack on the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. The film has strong references to contemporary issues like farmers’ suicide, hospitals lacking basic amenities, and governments making it easier for some mega companies by relieving them of their debts.
But how did the saffron party know this? Did SRK tell them so? The problems talked about in the film are not of any government. They are issues our country has been suffering from for quite some time, no matter the disposition.
We'll leave you with this thought for now, ladies and gentlemen. Let us allow this week's Political Theatre be a tragedy. And after all, SRK has also posited, "If all is not well at the end, the picture has..."
Exit stage left,
DH Newsletters Team