3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 3rd of April and here are today's headlines.In an exclusive investigation report, The Indian Express has found that since 2014, as many as 25 prominent politicians facing action from Central agencies for alleged corruption have crossed over to the BJP. These politicians cut across party lines: 10 are from the Congress; four each from NCP and Shiv Sena; three from TMC; two from TDP; and one each from SP and YSRCP. In 23 of these cases, their political move has translated into reprieve. The Opposition calls it the “washing machine,” the mechanism by which politicians accused of corruption don’t face legal consequences if they quit their party and join the BJP.The Delhi High Court today heard Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking immediate release from the custody of Enforcement Directorate. Senior advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal said that the case reeks of timing issues which ensures that Kejriwal is unable to participate in democratic activity and to try to disintegrate the AAP before the first vote is cast. Additional Solicitor SV Raju representing ED said that he was in a bit of a dilemma because what is filed is a writ petition against arrest but it is argued as a bail application or quashing application.Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today said the question of who could be an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “irrelevant” as in a parliamentary system people are not electing an individual but a party or a coalition of parties. In a post on X, he said the alternative to PM Modi is a group of experienced, capable and diverse leaders who will be responsive to people’s problems and not driven by individual ego.India’s first Olympic medallist in boxing Vijender Singh joined the BJP today. Singh had fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election unsuccessfully from the South Delhi constituency as a Congress candidate. Singh comes from the Jat community, which has political influence in a large number of seats in Haryana, the state he comes from, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.At least nine people were killed and 800 others injured in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked Taiwan early morning today. Authorities said that 50 travellers aboard four minibuses heading to a hotel in a national park are missing in Hualien. As many as 34 aftershocks were recorded. The quake had a depth of 15.5 km, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. The strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years, the quake sparked a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines that was later lifted.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we talk to Indian Express' Jay Mazoomdaar about the Great Indian Bustard, a species of birds which is heading towards extinction with fewer than just 150 left. Second, Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary joins us to talk about the CBI filing a closure on a case involving Praful Patel, eight months after he joined the NDA. (11:00)Lastly, we give you an update on the Enforcement Directorate’s crack down on AAP leaders as Sanjay Singh gets a bail. (18:34)Hosted by Niharika NandaWritten and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika NandaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 2nd of April and here are today's headlines.The Supreme Court today granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case relating to excise policy irregularities. The Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, who was then arrested on 4th of October, following 10 hours of searches at his North Avenue home, in the matter.The Congress party has released the 11th list of 17 candidates for Lok Sabha election 2024 today. The list includes names of candidates fielded from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. According to the list, the party has fielded Y S Sharmila Reddy from Kadapa seat, which is a stronghold of the Reddy family and is currently represented by Sharmila’s cousin Avinash Reddy from YSR Congress Party.The Supreme Court today said it was not inclined to accept the apology tendered by Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna. They had submitted a response to notices asking to show cause as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for allegedly flouting its directions. The apex court, however, gave them a last opportunity to file fresh responses. The court was upset about an advertisement issued by the company after it had assured the court that it would not make any “casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine”.INDIA HAS not sent any official communication yet on the Katchatheevu island issue, a senior Sri Lanka minister told The Indian Express. Jeevan Thondaman, a Tamil-origin minister in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Cabinet, said, quote, "As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, Katchatheevu island falls within the Sri Lankan line of control. Narendra Modi’s foreign policy with Sri Lanka is organic and healthy. So far, there has not been an official communication from India to return the powers of Katchatheevu island. No such request from India so far. If there is such a communication, the foreign ministry will reply to that."6 international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen charity and their Palestinian driver were killed in an “apparent” Israeli airstrike today, while they were delivering food to Gaza. The food charity, which was founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, has suspended operations in the region. Commenting on the reports, the Israeli military said it was conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what it called a tragic incident.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Indian Express journalists discuss the death of Mukhtar Ansari, 21000 trees cut in Mumbai, and Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar. Topics include alleged poisoning, tree transplantation challenges, and custody proceedings with special requests.

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 1st of April and here are the top stories of the week.A Delhi court today sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till 15th of April in the excise policy case. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, sought the Aam Aadmi Party chief’s judicial custody for 15 days stating that Kejriwal had not been cooperative and had not shared his passwords with the agency. Kejriwal’s wife Sunita and party colleagues and AAP MLAs Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Gopal Rai were in the courtroom today.In his latest tweet on Katchatheevu Island, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the DMK, saying that the Congress and the MK Stalin-led party were “family units”, who don’t care for anyone else. PM Modi cited a news report based on a reply to an RTI reportedly filed by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, which states that then-CM and DMK leader M Karunanidhi was taken into confidence by then-PM Indira Gandhi when the island was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974. The Congress has accused PM Modi of raking up the issue now with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.The Income Tax Department assured the Supreme Court today that it will not take any coercive steps to recover approximately Rs 3,500 demanded from the Indian National Congress before the end of Lok Sabha elections 2024. The Supreme Court was hearing the appeals filed by the Congress challenging the demands made by the I-T Department. The court recorded the I-T Department’s assurance and posted the matter for the next hearing on 24th of July.Indian stock markets today started the first day of the financial year 2024-25 on a bullish note with key indices, Sensex and NSE Nifty, hitting all-time highs on strong buying in intra-day trades. The Sensex opened at 73,968.62 against the previous close of 73,651.35 and rose about 0.82 per cent to hit its fresh all-time high of 74,254.62 within the first two hours of trade. The Nifty Index, on the similar lines, opened at 22,455 against the previous close of 22,326.90 and jumped 0.90 per cent to hit its new record high of 22,529.95.Israeli forces have withdrawn from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after a two-week operation, leaving behind devastation with destroyed buildings and scattered bodies. Following intense clashes with the Palestinian Hamas group, hundreds of residents rushed to assess damage to nearby residential areas. The Israeli military claims to have targeted and neutralized numerous gunmen, seizing weaponry and intelligence documents. However, Hamas officials and medical staff deny any armed presence within the hospital premises.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we talk to Indian Express' Anand Mohan about the huge volume of Congress party leaders, members and workers who are now jumping ship and joining the BJP.Second, Indian Express' Rural Affairs Editor Harish Damodaran joins us to talk about the high-yielding varieties of paddy seeds that have led to some of the best varieties of Basmati rice in India making its way to Pakistan, illegally. (10:12)Lastly, we talk about BJP fielding Arun Govil, the actor who played the role of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, from Meerut in UP. (21:58)Hosted by Niharika NandaWritten and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika NandaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 29th of March and here are the top stories of the week.Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended CM Arvind Kejriwal’s Enforcement Directorate custody by four days till 1st of April. The ED had sought a 7-day extension on the AAP national convener’s custody in the now-scrapped liquor policy case. In similar news, Delhi High Court, on the same day, dismissed a plea seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Delhi’s Chief Minister, saying that there is “no scope of judicial interference”.Meanwhile, tensions escalate between India and the United States over Kejriwal's arrest, as India slammed the US for what it perceives as meddling in its internal affairs once again. Just hours after India summoned a senior US diplomat to voice its objections to the State Department's comments on Kejriwal's arrest, the US reiterated its stance, emphasizing the importance of fair, transparent, and timely legal processes.In its first breakthrough in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, the National Investigation Agency on Thursday, arrested a key conspirator following raids across multiple locations in three states. As per NIA press release, Muzammil Shareef was picked up and placed in custody as a co-conspirator. The two other accused — Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain and Abdul Matheen Taha — are still absconding.An objectionable remark purportedly made by senior Congress leader Supriya Shrinate about actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been named by the BJP as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, triggered a political controversy on Monday. The comment in Hindi, featuring a photograph of Ranaut and had a denigrating reference to the actor and her constituency. The Election Commission on Wednesday issued show-cause notice to Shrinate, finding that she had prima facie violated the Model Code of Conduct.The Baltimore bridge collapse incident occurred on Tuesday when cargo ship Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The collision took place shortly after the ship departed the Port of Baltimore. Following the collision, two workers were rescued later, the six missing workers were presumed dead, upon which search for them was suspended.The  22-member all Indian crew of Dali  issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy discusses the comments made by the US and Germany regarding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, as well as India’s response to their statements.Next, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath explains what led to the split verdict delivered by the Bombay High Court regarding the Government’s ‘fact-checking unit’ and why the Supreme Court stayed the operation of the unit’s notification (08:34).Finally, Indian Express’ Divya A informs us about the reasons behind the decision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to delist 18 “centrally protected monuments” (18:10).Hosted, written and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 28th of March and here are today's headlines.Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has reserved its order in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Enforcement Directorate custodial remand case. Earlier today, the court heard the ED plea seeking a 7-day extension on the AAP national convener’s custody in the now-scrapped liquor policy case. Kejriwal went over statements of witnesses in the case and said, quote, "ED has two motives - to create a smokescreen to crush AAP and two, to create an extortion racket. Raghav Reddy contributed 55 crores to BJP. He bought his bail. Money trail is clearly established." Unquote.A group of lawyers have written to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud “expressing…deepest concern” about the actions of a “vested interest group”. They alleged that it “is trying to pressure the judiciary, influence judicial process and defame…courts on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas”. The signatories, numbering around 600, claimed that “this heated interest group operates in various ways. They create false narratives of a supposed ‘better past’ and ‘golden period’ of the courts. The letter said, quote "These are nothing but intentional statements, made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the courts for certain political gains”. Unquote.Hours after India summoned a senior US diplomat on Wednesday and objected to the State Department’s remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, the US reiterated that it “follows these actions closely” and “encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes”. US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller also said that they are aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.India and China today agreed to continue talks through diplomatic and military channels to resolve border issues along the Line of Actual Control. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that talks were undertaken under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs in Beijing. This was the 29th meeting of the WMCC.  At a time when India has reiterated its two-state solution for the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that although the Oct 7 attack was definitely an act of terrorism, there remains the “underlying issue of the rights of the Palestinians and the fact that they have been denied their homeland.” He was responding to a question at an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we talk to Indian Express' Damini Nath about the implementation of One Nation One Election. She talks about the recommendations of the Ramnath Kovind committee and when and how will simultaneous polls be held in India.Second, Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha joins us to talk about the Bengaluru water crisis. Is Karnataka the only state facing a water shortage? Why is the situation so severe and how can we solve it? Find out in this segment. (8.01)Lastly, we talk about Arvind Kejriwal's arrest and how the Delhi High Court has responded to his plea for interim relief. (18.01)Hosted by Niharika NandaWritten and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika NandaEdited and Mixed by Suresh PawarArvind Kejriwal story:https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/arvind-kejriwal-arrest-plea-delhi-hc-notice-ed-next-hearing-april-3-9236100/