10 MAG 2024 · This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. It’s the 10th of May and here are the top stories of the week. The third phase of the Lok Sabha elections was held on Tuesday in 93 parliamentary constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories. The voting percentage edged closer to the 2019 figure for these corresponding seats, with Election Commission estimates at 10 pm Wednesday showing a 2024 turnout of 65.68% against 67.33% last time — a dip of 1.65 percentage points. This comes after the first two phases of the elections saw turnout dipping by just under 4 percentage points and 3 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2019. Sam Pitroda, one of the closest associates of the Gandhi family, stepped down as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday after his politically incorrect remarks to underline India’s diversity triggered a firestorm. It drew sharp reactions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s chief ministers in the Northeast. Emphasising the diversity of India, Pitroda in an interview to The Statesman, stated, quote “People in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, White, and people in the South look like Africans,” adding, “It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters.” Unquote. Vehemently opposing granting any interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday told the Supreme Court that “any special concession” to him “would.. amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality”. This follows the Supreme Court's Wednesday deliberation that it “may” pass an order on Friday on whether or not to grant interim bail to Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the ED in connection with the excise policy case. As flight disruptions due to cabin crew shortage continued on Thursday, Air India Express has agreed to withdraw termination letters issued to over 25 members. The protesting crew members, meanwhile, ended their strike as the airline management also agreed to look into their issues, as per sources. The decisions come after a conciliation meeting between the cabin crew representatives and the airline representatives at the Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in New Delhi on the same day. Around 25 senior cabin crew members were sacked by the airline following the mass sick leave by over a hundred senior cabin crew on Wednesday. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, with shortages already forcing one of three remaining hospitals in the city of Rafah to shut down. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been closed since Israel’s military took control of the Palestinian side early Tuesday, blocking the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid. The U.N. says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine. This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

10 MAG 2024 · First, veteran journalist and contributing editor to The Indian Express, Neerja Chowdhury, takes stock of the current Lok Sabha elections. Next, The Indian Express’ Jatin Anand discusses Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommending a probe by the National Investigation Agency against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding for the AAP from the banned extremist organisation Sikhs for Justice (20:08). Finally, we provide the latest update on the case involving West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Last week, he was accused by a contractual employee of the Raj Bhavan of molesting her (27:44). Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

9 MAG 2024 · This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. It’s the 9th of May and here are today's headlines. A day after announcing that he would back the Opposition Congress against the BJP government in Haryana, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala announced today that he has written to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test in the Assembly. The Congress followed suit by seeking an appointment with the governor on May 10 to “present a memorandum regarding the present political situation in the state”. Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda replied to Chautala’s statement, quote “All our 30 MLAs are intact, but the issue is that his [Dushyant’s] MLAs are running here and there. First, he should analyse if he has all his MLAs intact…it would have been better if Dushyant had paraded all his MLAs in front of the governor. Unquote. As Air India Express faces cancellation of 74 of its flights owing to an ongoing protest by a section of its cabin crew, Air India has stepped in to aid passengers facing disruptions, stating that it will run flights on 20 of its subsidiary’s routes. The airline released in a press release, quote, “We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights are cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport,” Unquote. The Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in Supreme Court opposing interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today. 'Right to campaign in polls is neither fundamental nor constitutional,' ED told the Supreme Court and also said that no political leader was ever granted interim bail for his own campaigning if in custody. Earlier today the Supreme Court said that it may pass an order on Friday on whether or not to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy scam case. A 26-year-old Indian student has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2, India’s mission in the US city. It is the latest case in the country as the community grapples with a string of such incidents involving students. Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been missing from the 4300 block of N. Sheridan Rd, the Chicago Police said in a statement. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh. Two Indian-origin brothers wanted in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old MTech student from India have been arrested by Australian police. Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in the New South Wales country town of Goulburn police are preparing to extradite them to Victoria reportedly. The brothers were on the run since the early hours of Sunday after Navjeet Sandhu from Noble Park was killed and a 30-year-old man, also from Noble Park, was injured at an Ormond home in Melbourne’s southeast. This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

9 MAG 2024 · First, Indian Express’ Deeptiman Tiwary joins us to talk about the views and opinions of people from Bihar on the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, the challenges that they face and who they will be voting for.  Next, Indian Express’ Sohini Ghosh talks to us about the new verdict given by the Gujarat High Court regarding the murder case of RTI activist Amit Jethwa which acquits the formerly convicted Dinu Solanki and six others. (14:22) And in the end, we talk about a recent controversy over Sam Pitroda's comments followed by his resignation from the position of the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress. (26:10) Hosted by Niharika Nanda Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

8 MAG 2024 · This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. It’s the 8th of May and here are today's headlines. Fresh remarks by Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda, where he seeks to emphasise the diversity of India, prompted a sharp reaction from the Prime Minister as well as BJP chief ministers from the Northeast. In an interview to The Statesman, Pitroda said, quote, “People in the East look Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North like, maybe, White, and people in the South look like African.” Unquote. At a rally on Wednesday, Modi referred to the remarks along with Rahul Gandhi and said, quote, “Shehzada will have to answer. The nation and Modi will not tolerate insulting our citizens on the basis of skin colour.” Unquote. The Civil Aviation ministry today sought a report from Air India Express on cancellation of flights after a section of cabin crew reported sick evidently to protest against changes in the human resources policy. The ministry has asked the Tata-group airline to resolve issues promptly. The ministry has further advised the airline to ensure facilities to passengers as per DGCA norms. Around 80 Air India Express flights have been disrupted, including cancellations and long delays, due to the crew shortage since Tuesday night as over 200 cabin crew called in sick. The judicial custody of JD(S) leader and former Karnataka Minister HD Revanna, who was arrested on May 4 by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in a kidnapping case, was extended till 14th of May. A sexual abuse case was registered against Revanna and his son and Hassan MP Prajwal on 28th of April at Holenarsipur in Hassan district. Explicit videos of alleged sexual abuse by Prajwal had gone viral days before the April 26 polling in parts of Karnataka. The state government formed the SIT soon after, and multiple cases were registered against the MP. To encourage more victims to come forward, the SIT launched a helpline to provide protection or legal assistance to victims, by keeping their identities confidential. Amidst the diplomatic strain in India-Canada relations, India’s Canadian envoy has warned that the Sikh separatist groups in Canada were crossing “a big red line” that New Delhi sees as a matter of national security and of the country’s territorial integrity. Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said, quote, “Indians will decide the fate of India, not the foreigners."Unquote. Verma told the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent think-tank that relations between India and Canada are positive overall despite “a lot of noise”. Washington had halted a shipment of powerful bombs that Israel could have potentially used in a full-scale assault on Rafah. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington had carefully reviewed the delivery of weapons that might be used in Rafah, and as a result paused a shipment consisting of 1,800 2,000-lb bombs and 1,700 500-lb bombs. This would be the first such delay since the Biden administration offered its "ironclad" support to Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. The White House and Pentagon declined to comment. This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

8 MAG 2024 · First, Indian Express’ Kiran Parashar brings us a ground report from the Hassan constituency, where over the past 10 days, survivors of the alleged sexual assault case involving JDS leader and MP Prajwal Revanna have had to flee their homes. Next, Indian Express’ Parthasarthi Biswas tells us about the Centre lifting the export ban on onions ahead of the polls in Maharashtra, and why farmers in the state are expressing discontentment over this move (11:46). And finally, Indian Express’ Abhishek Angad provides us with the details of the latest raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate in Jharkhand and how they have led to political mudslinging between the Congress and the BJP (20:35). Hosted by Shashank Bhargava Produced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

7 MAG 2024 · This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. It’s the 7th of May and here are today's headlines. The third phase of the Lok Sabha elections is underway today with voters in 93 parliamentary constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories casting their ballot to elect the new government. The state of Gujarat and the union territories of Goa, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will complete polling in a single phase on Tuesday. Among the other constituencies voting in the third phase are four in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in Uttar Pradesh and four in West Bengal. The Supreme Court today said that if it grants interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, he cannot function as the chief minister as it will have “cascading effect” on other issues. The court noted, quoted, “We are on the issue of propriety today, not on legality. We do not want anything to affect the functioning of the government," Unquote. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's judicial custody in the excise policy corruption case has been extended until 15th of May. In his first-ever comments on the sexual assault allegations against now-suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there was “zero tolerance” for such people. During an interview with a national TV channels, he also hit out at the Congress party, questioning the timing of the release of the videos, during an interview with TV channel Times Now. He questioned, quote, “...if it happened in Karnataka, then the Karnataka government is responsible to take action,” Unquote. The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Jharkhand Congress Minister Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the officer’s domestic help. This follows raids conducted at various premises yesterday which led to the seizure of around Rs 34.50 crore in cash. Hours later, a Special Court in Ranchi remanded Lal and his house help to seven-day ED custody, after the agency submitted that names of senior bureaucrats and politicians have emerged. The agency also alleged that “officials from top to bottom” of Rural Development Department were involved in a money laundering nexus. The Israeli military said it had established “operational control” over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Monday into Tuesday. Footage broadcast on Israeli media showed an Israeli flag flying on the Gaza side of the crossing, though the Israeli army refused to comment on the flag. On Monday night, the Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted strikes” in eastern Rafah. It said 20 Hamas militants were killed in the operation and it discovered three tunnel shafts. An Israeli army official said the vast majority of people located in the evacuation zone have left. This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

7 MAG 2024 · First, Indian Express’ Aditi Raja joins us to talk about the Tribal belt of Gujarat that cast its votes yesterday for the Lok Sabha elections and the challenges that they have been facing. Next, Indian Express’ Nihal Koshie talks to us about the BJP fielding Karan Bhushan Singh from the Kaiserganj seat instead of father and former President of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. (13:02) And in the end, we talk about the Election Commission of India issuing an advisory for all the parties to remove all the deepfake content, audios and videos from their social media pages which have been used as a part of the election campaigns. (20:13) Hosted by Niharika Nanda Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

6 MAG 2024 · This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain. It’s the 6th of May and here are today's headlines. Exuding confidence that the BJP would form the government in Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government’s “expiry date” was 4th of June– the day the results come out. Addressing a rally in Berhampur parliamentary constituency, Modi said, quote, “Today is May 6. By June 6, a BJP chief minister will be nominated and on June 10, an oath-taking ceremony will be held. Write it down. I have come here to welcome you to the BJP government’s oath-taking ceremony. The double engine government will come to Odisha for the first time,” unquote. Odisha Assembly elections will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls. A day ahead of polling in all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, 16 schools in Ahmedabad received bomb threat emails today. According to JCP (Crime Branch) Sharad Singhal, 12 schools in Ahmedabad city and four in Ahmedabad rural jurisdiction received the threat emails around 6 am. The emails were received from a Russian domain name ‘http://mail.ru/’. He further stated that combing operations were undertaken in all the schools and “nothing was found”, terming the threats to be “hoax”. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today warned about Pakistan being a nuclear power in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s comment on people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir wanting to merge with India. Abdullah said, quote, “If the defence minister is saying it then go ahead. Who are we to stop? But remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us." Unquote. Reportedly, Rajnath on Sunday stated that India won’t have to capture PoK with force because “its people, on their own, would want to be part of the country after seeing the development in Kashmir”. The Bombay High Court today granted temporary bail of two months, on health grounds, to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, arrested in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate. Goyal was arrested by the central agency in September last year and had approached the high court after a special court denied his bail plea. The court also asked Goyal to surrender his passport and directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with sureties. The third phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on 7th of May with voters in 94 parliamentary constituencies across 12 states and Union Territories casting their ballot to elect the new government. By tomorrow evening, over 280 constituencies will have gone to polls, meaning that more than half of the total seats in Lok Sabha will have been decided. That leaves polling in 263 constituencies in the four remaining phases. The state of Gujarat and the union territories of Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will complete polling in a single phase on Tuesday. This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

6 MAG 2024 · First, Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth tells us why Rahul Gandhi decided to contest from Raebareli instead of Amethi, and why Priyanka Gandhi chose not to make her electoral debut in these polls. Next, Indian Express’ Mohamed Thaver informs us about the incident of firing outside Salman Khan's residence and the key suspects in the case (13:35). Lastly, we provide you with the details of the latest terror attack in Jammu's Poonch district (22:40). Hosted by Shashank Bhargava Produced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar