DH Political Theatre | Siddu stands as a 'rock, while trouble brews over over Dalai Lama's successor

Hello reader! Welcome to this week's Political Theatre.

Speculations about leadership change in Karnataka ended after CM Siddaramaiah said that he was going going to stay in power for the next five years.

Meanwhile the Election Commission has started Special Intensive Revision drive in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls to verify each and every voter and weed out fraudulent ones.

Though India endorsed Dalai Lama's decision to choose his successor as per his wish, China has warned against any interference. China urged India to act cautiously on Tibet related issues to avoid any impact on bilateral relations.

Here's a quick recap of the week's action in DH Political Theatre.

Karnataka CM rules out leadership change

Laying rest to all speculations about leadership change in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that he would stand strong like a rock and complete his full five-year term. His deputy D K Shivakumar had no other choice, but to nod his head in acceptance saying that he has no other option other than supporting the CM.

Surjewala meeting Congress' MLAs, MPs

AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala has also ruled out any leadership change in Karnataka calling it a 'figment of imagination'.

Amid the bickering going on within the Congress state unit over the issue, Surjewala who was in Bengaluru this week, said that he did meet MPs and MLAs one-on-one to understand their opinions and their work regarding their constituencies.

Special Intensive Revision in Bihar

An electoral roll division has been started by the EC in Bihar for the upcoming Assembly elections. The drive by EC, called Special Intensive Revision (SIR), began as mandated by the Constitution under Article 326.

During the drive which is being held to verify each and all every voter in Bihar, an enumeration form will be handed out to every voter who would have to submit their details.

Congress however mocked the poll body and said that it should be a 'slave' of the Constitution and democracy and not of 'Shah and Shahenshah'.

AAP to contest Bihar polls solo

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said that his party will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls without any alliance with the Congress or I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

Dalai Lama's successor

Despite China's objection, India validated Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's decision to rule out any role for the East Asian country in selecting his reincarnation. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that no one has the right to choose the 15th Dalai Lama except the established convention and as per the wish of the Dalai Lama himself.

However, riled up Beijing has made it clear that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must have its approval. Dalai Lama had confirmed that his institution would go on and that his reincarnation would be found in the ‘free world’, not in Tibet under the occupation of China.

Hindi imposition in Maharashtra

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray (left) and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The BJP-led Maha Yuti in Maharashtra cancelled government resolutions (GR) on the three-language policy introducing Hindi language as a subject.

Fearing a massive protest by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray against 'Hindi imposition on the Marathi-manoos', the Devendra Fadnavis government was forced to withdraw the orders.

The government had on April 16 issued a GR, mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language for students from classes 1 to 5.

Uddhav had burned copies of the GR, asserting that a super grand protest would be held on July 5.

NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar too opined that the people of Maharashtra are not anti-Hindi, but it isn't right to impose the language on young students.

Kolkata gangrape case

West Bengal Irrigation Minister Manas Bhunia was in the news for all wrong reasons when he said that 'in Bengal, even a minor incident leads to a huge outcry', while addressing a doctors’ conference.

After the minster's comment drew sharp political criticism, Bhunia held an emergency press conference and clarified that his 'minor incident' remark was in no way connected to the recent gangrape case in Kolkata.

It may be recalled that a 24-year-old first-year female student was gangraped by three people inside South Calcutta Law College on June 25.

No mention of Pahalgam terror attack in SCO doc

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) document because it did not mention the Pahalgam terrorist attack and also India’s concerns on cross-border terrorism.

He also asserted that India has carried out Operation Sindoor to avenge the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, exercising its right to defend against terrorism.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also said that India wants a reference to terrorism in the outcome document of the SCO.

Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' passed

A bill to extend tax cuts and slash social safety net programs was passed by the US House with a final vote of 218-214, to deliver President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. It will also increase funding for defense and border security and cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, with more reductions to food assistance for other government aid.

Trump also threatened to cut off subsidies of billions of dollars that Tesla CEO Elon Musk's companies receive from the federal government after a war of words between the two.

Musk had threatened to start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who support the tax bill and had also spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency, which aimed at cutting government spending.

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