3 Things

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).

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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)

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Arvind Kejriwal story:
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/arvind-kejriwal-arrest-plea-delhi-hc-notice-ed-next-hearing-april-3-9236100/

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 27th of March and here are today's headlines.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today contested his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy. Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal in the Delhi High Court said that a sitting CM was arrested on the cusp of elections when the Model Code of Conduct is in place and the arrest is impinging on the level playing field.

Meanwhile, India took strong objection to the remarks by a US spokesperson on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, quote,  "In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents."

The Enforcement Directorate today issued fresh summons to Trinamool Congress leader and ousted Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra in connection to a FEMA contravention case. The TMC leader and Businessman Darshan Hiranandani have been asked to appear before the probe agency on the 28th of March. The agency is scrutinising transactions associated with a non-resident external account in this case, along with examining various other foreign remittances and fund transfers.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be held before September and that the Centre will consider revoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act there. In an interview with the local media, Shah said the government plans to withdraw troops from the Union Territory (UT) and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.

The Indian Embassy in the US has condoled the “unfortunate accident” in Baltimore where a cargo ship manned by a 22-member Indian crew, struck and demolished a key bridge. The Indian Embassy in the US said in a post on X, quote, “Our heartfelt condolences to all affected by the unfortunate accident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore." Unquote. It said that the Embassy has created a dedicated hotline for any Indian citizens who may be affected or require assistance due to the tragedy. The Embassy is ascertaining details regarding the vessel’s crew.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

After months of evading summons by the Enforcement Directorate, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the agency last Thursday in the Delhi excise policy case—an unprecedented move.

Since then, leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party have been staging protests across several parts of the country, including the capital, where they have been joined by their supporters.

In this episode, we discuss the accusations against Kejriwal, the concerns raised by opposition parties, and the BJP's rationale behind this move.

Guests: Indian Express’ Mallica Joshi, Manoj CG, and Liz Mathew

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Audio clips sourced by Niharika Nanda
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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 26th of March and here are today's headlines.

While the Aam Aadmi Party is protesting against the arrest of Kejriwal, in a counter-protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party sought to march towards the Delhi Secretariat to demand the CM’s resignation. The police have said that permission has not been granted for protests and Section 144 has been imposed outside the Prime Minister’s residence in view of  AAP’s protest. The police have detained AAP workers, including Punjab minister Harjot Bains, Chandigarh mayor Kuldeep Kumar Tita and party leader Somnath Bharti.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) Monday wrote to the Election Commission to take strict action against Congress and its leader Supriya Shrinate over her objectionable remarks against Kangana Ranaut, named BJP Lok Sabha candidate for Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Speaking to reporters, NCW chief Rekha Sharma said that it is very unfortunate that a woman is using such derogatory language against another woman. Shrinate, however, has denied any involvement, claiming it was posted by somebody who had access to her accounts.

A Delhi court today sent BRS legislator K Kavitha to 14 days of judicial custody until April 9. Earlier, she was in the Enforcement Directorate’s custody for 10 days in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. A member of the Telangana Legislative Council and daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Kavitha is accused of allegedly paying Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders in return for liquor licences in Delhi. The ED took her into custody from Hyderabad on March 15.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar today gave the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra one more day to decide on his demands for seats to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024. Ambedkar had severed ties with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and issued a March 26 ultimatum to the MVA to finish seat-sharing talks. Ambedkar has been miffed with Shiv Sena (UBT) for not pushing VBA’s case during MVA meetings.

A portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a large boat collided with it early this morning, and multiple vehicles fell into the water. According to a video posted on X, A large vessel crashed into the bridge, catching on fire before sinking and causing multiple vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River. As per reports, emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

We're currently on a break for Holi celebrations and will be back with our regular show tomorrow, the 27th of March.

However, since it's election season, we're revisiting an insightful conversation that originally aired on The Sandip Roy Show. In this conversation, writer and host Sandip Roy sits down with veteran journalist and contributing editor of The Indian Express, Neerja Chowdhury, to discuss how Congress Prime Ministers fueled the rise of Hindu nationalism. Neerja's book, 'How Prime Ministers Decide,' delves into the behind-the-scenes stories of how Indian Prime Ministers made some of the most monumental decisions that shaped the country.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

As the Lok Sabha polls draw near and the BJP remains confident in its chances of returning to power, we bring you an insightful discussion that recently took place between political strategist Prashant Kishore and Indian Express’ Executive Director Anant Goenka, along with National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra. 

In this conversation, they discuss why the BJP continues to garner support, the role of Hindutva in their success, and the recurring failures of the opposition to mobilize voters.

Produced by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Listen to the Part 2 of the conversation here:

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 22nd of March and here are the top stories of the week.

A 12-member team of the Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at his residence in North Delhi’s Civil Lines on Thursday. The ED team reached his residence and began questioning after Delhi HC refused to grant CM Arvind Kejriwal protection from coercive action in excise policy case earlier today. Meanwhile, the Delhi CM moved the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing challenging the Delhi HC order.

The Election Commission of India on Thursday published the complete electoral bond data given to it by the State Bank of India on orders of the Supreme Court. This data includes bond numbers that would enable donors to be matched with the political parties they donated to. The two sets of data – 552 pages of details of redemption by political parties and 386 pages of details of donors – covers electoral bonds purchased and redeemed from April 2019 till January 2024 – in line with the apex court’s orders.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday released its third list of nine candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Tamilisai Soundararajan, who resigned as the Governor of Telangana on Monday (March 18) will contest from Chennai South, while Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has been fielded from Coimbatore. The Congress also released the third list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, consisting of 56 candidates from eight states and Union Territories. Among the key candidates to be fielded are Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampore, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna from Gulbarga and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde from Solapur.

The Supreme Court on Thursday halted the implementation of the Centre's notification concerning the Press Information Bureau's Fact Checking Unit (FCU). This halt will remain in place until the Bombay High Court reaches a final verdict on petitions contesting the 2023 modifications to the Information Technology Rules. The bench highlighted that the Centre had provided assurance to the HC that the FCU would not be activated until the petitions challenging Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2023 (IT Amendment Rules, 2023) are resolved by the HC.

Initially stating that Zomato's proposal for a separate delivery fleet for vegetarian food received an "overwhelmingly positive" response, co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal reversed course in less than 11 hours on Wednesday. The company has now abandoned plans to segregate the fleet based on individuals' dietary preferences. Worries regarding the potential for harassment stemming from the division of workers into green and red uniforms have prompted Zomato to retract the green attire.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we talk to Indian Express' Dheeraj Mishra about the double murder case from Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district, where two minor boys were killed by a local barber.

Second, Indian Express’ Pratyush Raj joins us to talk about an analysis conducted by The Indian Express according to which Indian cricketers are not giving due importance to Ranji trophy matches as against the IPL. (9:36)

Lastly, we talk about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. (22:47)

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda
Edited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar