Regional Journal: Smriti Irani, the bahu, back on TV-OxBig News Network

Smriti Irani —​ the firebrand BJP leader who catapulted herself to fame from the Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (KSBKBT) universe to the hurly-burly of politics, defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2019 and lost to the unfancied Kishori Lal Sharma in 2024 — is believed to be returning to the world of stars and arc lights. Smriti has been heard saying in Delhi that she has no political work, so she may as well. She has since been back on Karan Johar’s show and in touch with Ekta Kapoor, the KSBKBT author. The only LS election Smriti won was when she defeated Gandhi, the rest of her political career has been spent in the Rajya Sabha. At the moment she’s in neither House.

Tejasvi Surya & Trump

Tejasvi Surya, the BJP MP from Bangalore South, who sought an independent meeting with US President Donald Trump at his private home in Florida during the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation’s visit to the US post-Op Sindoor, has left red faces all around. All official visits abroad are bound by strict diplomatic protocol and certainly MPs are not supposed to do things on their own. Surya, who is well-known for his ultra-hardline remarks, is said to have received a dressing-down by the senior BJP leadership on his return home.

Clash of Takhts avoided

An unprecedented standoff between the Akal Takht and the Takht Sri Patna Sahib was amicably resolved, thanks to behind the scenes efforts by prominent Sikh leaders, including Golden Temple Head Granthi Giani Raghbir Singh, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami and Takht Patna Sahib Management Committee President Jagjot Singh Sohi. Interestingly, Giani Raghbir Singh, who was unceremoniously removed as Jathedar of the Akal Takht earlier this year, emerged as a key figure in resolving the standoff. The reconciliation efforts ensured that the Takht Patna Sahib management sought an apology from the Akal Takht.

Himachal DCs at wits’ end

Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Himachal Pradesh are at their wits’ end over finalising the reservation roster for the urban local body elections slated to be held by the year-end. While the ruling Congress government doesn’t seem keen to accomplish the task, efforts to postpone the work on flimsy pretexts on two occasions has left the DCs red-faced. The officers are caught between the devil and the deep sea, as they can defy neither the state election commission’s orders nor the government diktat. The only solace for the hapless officers is that they are not alone in this situation which they shared on a recent WhatsApp group.

Gurdaspur woes

Gurdaspur lawyers’ fraternity was recently up in arms against the local police after an SHO entered the chamber of an advocate to arrest a person who had an FIR registered against him. The lawyers wanted the SHO to be suspended and an FIR registered against him. The SSP flatly refused to yield and shifted the SHO to the police lines. The advocates were livid. Finally, after much ado, the SHO was suspended. This slanging match went on for four days during which the advocates remained on a strike. Nobody won the battle, only the litigants were the losers.

Warring’s tractor

At the heart of Ludhiana’s protest against Punjab’s Land Pooling Policy stood Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, arriving in dramatic fashion by driving a massive tractor with oversized tyres. His arrival drew cheers, but also a quiet contrast. Many farmers had reached the protest site on their own tractors, modest in size but powerful in significance. The divide served as a subtle reminder — the journey of a politician and that of a farmer are worlds apart. No matter how many tractors one rides, the real insight into a farmer’s life demands more than symbolism. It calls for empathy, shared hardship, and a policy that uplifts rather than stages a spectacle.

(Contributed by Jyoti Malhotra, Neeraj Bagga, Ambika Sharma, Ravi Dhaliwal & Manav Mander)