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  • 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).

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

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in UP’s Bareilly attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he started his party’s campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra that will end with a ‘Congress Dhoondho Yatra,’ suggesting that the party will get a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a rally in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new attack on Congress saying “it is a mureed (follower) of Pakistan.” In Shivamogga, Rahul Gandhi raked up the many allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna and said, “PM Modi has asked for votes for a ‘mass rapist’.”

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Thursday that Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna, who is at the centre of a sexual abuse case, travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and no political clearance was either sought from or issued by the MEA with respect to his travel to the country. Meanwhile, the SIT probing the allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal has issued a lookout circular after he failed to appear before it officials following a notice of appearance served on Tuesday.

    After around 100 schools across Delhi-NCR received hoax bomb threats by email on Wednesday, the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued an advisory asking schools to ensure timely checking of emails received on their official email ID. It added that “if anything unwanted is noticed,” the deputy director of education in the district or zone and the Delhi Police are to be informed immediately.

    Global pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca has admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine, developed by researchers from the Oxford University, can cause a rare side effect of blood clotting and low platelet count after immunisation. In India, the same vaccine, called Covishield and manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute, has been administered through 175 crore doses. Reportedly, the company made this admission of a side effect, Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), in court as it faces a lawsuit alleging severe harm and deaths caused by the vaccine.

    Breaking days of silence as police crack down on campus protests over the war in Gaza, US President Joe Biden on Thursday said “destroying property and threatening people was not a peaceful protest” and asserted that it was “against the law.” In his first remarks on the ongoing student protests over the war in Gaza, Biden said the protests have put to the test the right to speech and the rule of law, adding that both must be upheld. “American people must have the right to be heard, but rule of law must be upheld,” he said in an address at the White House.

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

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  • First, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt joins us to talk about AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company that produced the Covid-19 vaccine - Covishield and its admission of the fact that its vaccine causes blood clots. She also shares the severity of the situation and whether or not it's a cause for concern.

    Next, Indian Express’ Anjali Marar talks to us about why the month of April was warmer than usual and what to expect from the upcoming months according to the India Meteorological Department. (8:16)

    And finally, we talk about the BJP fielding Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj instead of father Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. (17:43)

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 2nd of May and here are today's headlines.


    Intensifying the attack against the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the “partnership between Congress and Pakistan” has been “exposed” as leaders in Pakistan are “offering duas” for Rahul Gandhi to become India’s prime minister. While addressing an election rally in Gujarat, Modi said Pakistan “has been crying” as the Congress, which “only handed terror dossiers” to Pakistan, continues to lose ground in India. All 26 seats of Gujarat will go to poll on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

    Meanwhile, in Shivamogga, Rahul Gandhi raked up the many allegations of sexual abuse against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and said, “PM Modi has asked for votes for a ‘mass rapist’.” Speaking of Revanna, the Special Investigation Team probing the allegations of sexual abuse against him has issued a lookout circular after he failed to appear before it officials following a notice of appearance served on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he sought seven days to appear before the SIT. The SIT also issued notices to his father H D Revanna, who has been named as accused based on the complaint of one of the women, on the same day.

    The Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the removal of 223 contractual staffers at the Delhi Commission for Women, deeming their employment “irregular” and “illegal”. It is alleged that the former chairperson of the DCW, Swati Maliwal, had appointed the staffers without permission, going against the rules. Maliwal asked, quote, "If all the contract staff is removed, the Women’s Commission will be locked. Why are these people doing this? This institution has been built with blood and sweat. Instead of giving it staff and protection, you are destroying it from its roots?” Unquote.

    A Mumbai school principal has been asked by the school management to resign, allegedly over her posts on social media platform X on the issue of Palestine and the Hamas-Israel conflict. Parveen Shaikh, who has been with the school for 12 years and became its principal 7 years ago, has refused to resign. She said, quote, “I live in democratic India; I hold the principle of freedom of speech in high regard as it is a cornerstone of democracy. It is unimaginable that my expression would provoke such a malicious response, furthering their biased agenda. I will not resign because I have given hundred per cent to the organisation,” Unquote.

    Arguing that immigrants have made the United States stronger, President Joe Biden said that xenophobia from India, China, Russia and Japan has stalled their economic growth. Speaking at a fundraising event in Washington, he said, quote, “Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they are xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong. One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Unquote.

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

  • First Indian Express’ Kiran Parashar and Liz Mathew tell us about the Karnataka sex abuse case, in which Janata Dal (Secular) MP and its Hassan candidate Prajwal Revanna is the main accused. They delve into the allegations, the timeline since the matter surfaced, and the statements made by the JDS’ alliance partner, the BJP, regarding the issue.

    Next, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the Delhi liquor policy case and outlines a common challenge that the defense side is facing in the matter (12:32).

    And in the end, Indian Express’ Arnabjit Sur reports on the recent bomb threat received by nearly 100 schools in Delhi and the NCR region, which the police claim to be a hoax (20:12).

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 1st of May and here are today's headlines.

    Around 100 schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region received a bomb threat email in the early hours today. The schools received the threats on their official email IDs around 4 am. Speaking to reporters, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, said that the Delhi Police has found out the origin of the threat emails and that an investigation is underway. He added, quote, “I want to assure the people of Delhi that Delhi Police is fully prepared and we will try to prevent any untoward incident from happening.” Unquote.

    In other news, Anuj Thapan, one of the accused in the case related to firing outside actor Salman Khan’s Bandra home, has died by suicide in the lock-up of Mumbai Police’s crime branch. According to police officials, Thapan attempted to die by suicide at around 11am. “The incident took place in the bathroom of the police lock-up on the first floor,” the official said. Thapan, 32, was arrested on April 26 from Punjab by a team of Mumbai police crime branch.

    India’s gross Goods and Services tax collections rose to a record-high level of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April (for year-end sales in March), as per data released by the Finance Ministry today. Driven mainly by a rise in domestic transactions, the gross GST collections increased by 12.4 per cent in April. This is the highest level of GST collections recorded since the July 2017 of the indirect tax regime. The previous highest level registered under GST was Rs 1.87 lakh crore in April 2023, reflecting year-end sales of March 2023.

    Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara today said there is no question of protecting anyone including Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna over an alleged sex scandal involving him and that action has been initiated in accordance with law by forming a Special Investigation Team. He was reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on Tuesday wanting to know why the Congress government in Karnataka did not take any action against Prajwal Revanna. In the latest development in the sexual abuse case against Revanna, his father and party MLA H D Revanna, the SIT has issued notices to them. They have been asked to appear before SIT for probe.

    In international news, dozens were reportedly arrested Tuesday after Columbia University called in police to end the pro-Palestinian occupation on the New York campus. The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall more than 12 hours earlier, spreading their reach from an encampment on the grounds. Before officers entered the campus, the New York Police Department received a notice from Columbia authorising officers to take action, a law enforcement official told AP news agency.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt joins us to talk about why Hong Kong and Singapore withdrew products from MDH and Everest and how FSSAI has responded to it.

    Next, Indian Express’ Damini Nath talks to us about the voting process and the verdict that was recently given by the Supreme Court of India regarding the EVMs and VVPATs. (5:15)

    And finally, we talk about AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company that created the Covid-19 vaccine - Covishield and its admission of the fact that their vaccine causes series health issues. (12:12)

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 30th of April and here are today's headlines.

    The Janata Dal(Secular) today suspended Hassan MP and the party’s Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna, in connection with the explicit video clips allegedly involving him. The decision was made following a meeting of the JD(S) core committee held in Hubballi. Addressing media persons, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said the duration of the suspension “was until the completion of the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). If allegations against him are proved, then he will be suspended permanently.”

    Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah broke his silence on the alleged sex abuse case involving Prajwal Revanna, an MP with BJP’s alliance partner in Karnataka, the JD(S). Speaking in Guwahati, Shah, when asked about the allegations against Prajwal, who is also the JD(S) Lok Sabha candidate and the grandson of H D Deve Gowda, said, “It cannot be tolerated.” However, he sought to turn the tables on the Congress government in Karnataka for delaying the investigation in the case.

    In other news, AstraZeneca, for the first time, reportedly admitted in its court documents that its Covid vaccine can cause rare side effects, paving the way for a multi-million pound legal payout. The pharmaceutical company is being sued in a class action over claims that its vaccine against Covid-19, developed with the University of Oxford, caused death and serious injury, including TTS — Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome — which causes people to have blood clots and a low blood platelet count.

    The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority stating that they should be “honest to the court if they wanted sympathy and compassion”, a day after the body informed the court that it had “suspended manufacturing licences for 14… products” of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy. Expressing dissatisfaction over the explanation offered by the body, the bench observed it appeared that the licensing authority took action in accordance with the law only after the apex court’s 10th of April order.

    British police have arrested a man armed with a sword following reports of people having been stabbed during a serious incident in northeast London. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the 36-year old man was arrested after police were called to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in the area close to Hainault train station. The capital’s police force said the suspect had attacked members of the public and two officers, although it was not thought to be terrorism-related.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Jatin Anand tells us the reasons behind Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely resigning from this post, and the concerns it raises for the party ahead of the polls.

    Next, Indian Express’ Vikas Pathak explains how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reframing the slogan 'Abki baar 400 paar' and highlights the major trends for the party after the completion of two poll phases (14:12).

    And in the end, we give you a brief update on India's summoning of the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner following the raising of pro-Khalistan slogans at a Toronto event addressed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (24:18).

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 29th of April and here are today's headlines.

    The Congress in Madhya Pradesh received a setback today with its Indore candidate, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrawing his nomination. BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi confirmed the development to The Indian Express and said, quote, “The Congress candidate has withdrawn his nomination. This is the failure of Congress leadership. It’s a failure of their policies. Their vote bank politics, inheritance politics… has backfired. Congress karyakartas were already leaving, and now the leaders have joined.” Unquote.

    As the Karnataka Special Investigation Team launches a probe into allegations of sexual abuse by JD(S) MP and its Hassan candidate Prajwal Revanna, G Devaraje Gowda, a BJP leader told The Indian Express that he wrote an email and a letter to BJP state unit president BY Vijayendra as well as the central leadership on the allegations on 8th of December last year.

    Will an ex-Muslim continue to be governed by the Muslim personal law — the Shariat Act of 1937 — or by the secular laws of the country in matters of succession? The Supreme Court today agreed to consider the “important point” and issued notice on a writ petition filed by a woman from Kerala raising the question. The notice came from a bench on a petition filed by Safiya PM. In her plea, Safiya sought a “declaration that persons who do not want to be governed by the Muslim Personal Law must be allowed to be governed by the secular law of the country, viz, the Indian Succession Act, 1925 both in the case of intestate and testamentary succession”.

    In an interview to a leading national daily, Prime Minister Narendra Modi doubled down on his remarks against the Congress party over “appeasement” and “inheritance tax”. When asked about the Congress’s “polarisation” charge against the BJP, PM Modi said, quote “It is not polarisation to show that Congress has violated the Constitution and enacted laws providing reservation on the basis of religion. Our Constitution clearly prohibits reservations based on religion but the Congress govt in Karnataka reversed the law passed by BJP to provide reservation to OBCs and gave it to Muslims, classifying all Muslims as OBC.” unquote.

    When asked about the disappointment that the manifestos of the Congress and other parties of the INDIA bloc are completely silent on Article 370, Omar Abdullah told the Indian Express, "We do have friends who have talked about it — TMC, DMK, the Left. They have stuck their necks out for J&K and are against everything that happened on August 5, 2019. While the Congress is unable to find common cause with us on this particular issue, it is disappointing but I do understand. I understand that they have to trade off their commitment to J&K with the wider electoral arithmetic that they need to factor in." Unquote.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt joins us to talk about a report by the Swiss NGO Public Eye in collaboration with the International Baby Food Action Network which said that baby products sold in different countries, including India, had sugar above the international food safety guidelines.

    Next, Indian Express’ Shubhangi Khapre talks to us about Maharashtra's communally sensitive city of Aurangabad now called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and why it is of crucial importance in the Lok Sabha polls.(11:13)

    And finally, we talk about a call for indefinite shutdown by the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Nagaland which caused the general public to go to the neighbouring state of Assam to buy essential commodities. (23:35)

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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 April and here are the top stories of the week.

    In the second phase of Lok Sabha elections today, voting took place in 89 seats across 12 states and UTs. By day's end, one-third of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats, including all seats in Kerala, Rajasthan, Manipur, and Tripura, and 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, had completed polling. In Outer Manipur, 13 Assembly segments participated in the second phase, while the remaining 15 had voted in the first phase alongside the Inner Manipur seat. Among the 89 seats, 9 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 7 for Scheduled Tribes.

    A day after the chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda was on the receiving end over his comments on the US inheritance tax, he issued a clarification on Wednesday saying that his statements were twisted. He added that the comments had nothing to do with the Congress party or their manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The comments, however, faced the backlash of the BJP with their spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying that the “Congress wants to grab one's hard earned tax paid resources' '.

    On Tuesday, a Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K Kavitha till 7th of May in the money-laundering case related to the excise policy. Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections scheduled to be held today were postponed as the presiding officer was yet to be nominated. This comes after LG VK Saxena wrote to the municipal commissioner, saying that he does not “deem it appropriate to exercise his power as Administrator to appoint the Presiding Officer in absence of inputs from the Chief Minister.

    The National Investigation Agency on Thursday said they have arrested a man, a resident of the UK, in connection with the violence at the Indian High Commission in London during a protest on March 22 last year. The NIA spokesperson said that the accused, identified as Inderpal Singh Gaba, a resident of Hounslow, UK, has been arrested for carrying out unlawful activities during the protests. The probe revealed that the incidents in London on March 19 and 22 were part of a larger conspiracy to unleash vicious attacks on the Indian missions and its officials.

    D Gukesh, the 17-year-old from Chennai became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Candidates tournament in Toronto on Monday. This also made him the youngest ever to compete at the World Chess Championship. All India Chess Federation (AICF) secretary Dev Patel on Thursday said the country will bid for the hosting rights of this year’s much-anticipated World Championship clash between Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren of China.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Manoj CG and Kamal Saiyed inform us about how the BJP candidate from the Surat Lok Sabha constituency won unopposed, and the allegations made by the Congress and the BSP.

    Next, Indian Express’ Ritika Chopra discusses the Election Commission's unprecedented move of issuing notices to both the Congress and the BJP, rather than their candidates or star campaigners (04:50).

    And in the end, in response to Prime Minister Modi mentioning it in a recent speech, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the efforts to provide reservations to all Muslims in Andhra Pradesh (10:30).

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    (In the episode image: BJP's Mukesh Dalal with Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil)

  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 25th of April and here are today's headlines.

    In the second phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections tomorrow, 89 seats across 12 states and UTs will go to polls. By the end of the day, a third of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats — including all the seats in Kerala, Rajasthan, Manipur and Tripura, and 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka — will have completed polling. In Outer Manipur, 13 Assembly segments are voting in the second phase; the remaining 15 had voted in the first phase along with the Inner Manipur seat. Of the 89 seats, 9 and 7 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively.

    In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission of India issued notices to political parties, seeking responses to alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by their star campaigners. On Thursday, the poll panel wrote to BJP President J P Nadda regarding complaints about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge concerning complaints related both to him and party leader Rahul Gandhi.

    At least six persons died and over a dozen people were injured in a fire that broke out in a hotel in Patna today. While more than 40 people have been rescued, the injured were admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital. The incident took place at around 10.45 am when an LPG cylinder at the hotel kitchen caught fire during cooking. While some people escaped the blaze by taking the staircase and jumping from the windows of the first floor, several others were engulfed in the fire that spread quickly because of strong wind.

    Maharashtra cyber cell summoned actor Tamannaah Bhatia in connection with the alleged promotion of the viewing of Indian Premier League matches on a subsidiary app of the Mahadev online gaming and betting application. The actor has been asked to appear before the Maharashtra cyber personnel on the 29th of April. Bhatia has been summoned by the Maharashtra cyber cell for allegedly promoting the viewing of the IPL matches on the Fairplay betting app. The Maharashtra cyber cell has already recorded the statements of singer Badshah and the managers of actors Sanjay Dutt and Jacqueline Fernandez in the case.

    The US Supreme Court will decide on the power of the presidency in arguments over Donald Trump's bid for immunity from prosecution for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The justices will hear Trump's appeal after lower courts rejected his request to be shielded from four election-related criminal charges on the grounds that he was serving as president when he took the actions that led to the indictment obtained by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Trump is the first former U.S. president to be criminally prosecuted.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath joins us to talk about the petition that was filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali, claiming that their advertisements violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.

    Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt talks to us about Blue Origin, a private space company owned by Jeff Bezos, giving people a chance to experience space travel. (9:00)

    And finally, we talk about Sam Pitroda's comments on the US's inheritance tax and what reactions it got from the BJP. (14:32)

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 24th of April and here are today's headlines.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of stabbing Babasaheb Ambedkar in the back by promising to give reservations based on religion. Speaking at a rally in Madhya Pradesh, he said our Constitution bars reservation on the basis of religion, but the Congress promised it in their poll manifesto. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi has “panicked after seeing after seeing our revolutionary manifesto”. He said the Congress manifesto aims to give back 90% Indians a part of Rs 16 lakh cr given to big businessmen as a loan waiver.

    The Supreme Court today reserved judgment on a batch of petitions seeking 100 per cent cross-verification of vote count in electronic voting machines (EVMS) with voter verifiable paper audit trail paper slips. Earlier in the day, the court posed a set of queries to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the functioning of EVMs and sought the presence of an ECI official in the court to answer them.

    A day after the chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda was on the receiving end over his comments on the US inheritance tax, he issued a clarification saying that his statements were twisted. He added that the comments had nothing to do with the Congress party or their manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The comments, however, faced the backlash of the BJP with their spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying that the “Congress want to grab ones hard earned tax payed resources”.

    Day after the Supreme Court questioned the size of the public apology issued by Patanjali Ayurved over misleading advertisements, the firm issued another unconditional apology in newspapers on Wednesday — this time, more prominent. The apology mentioned non-compliance with the court's orders and directives and for errors in their advertisements. They expressed their commitment to avoiding such mistakes in the future and pledged to adhere to the court's instructions diligently and sincerely.

    Iran and Pakistan called on the United Nations Security Council in a joint statement issued today to take action against Israel. The statement released by Pakistan's foreign ministry, read, quote, "Recognizing that the irresponsible act of the Israeli regime forces was a major escalation in an already volatile region, both sides called on the UN Security Council to prevent the Israeli regime from its adventurism in the region and its illegal acts attacking its neighbours...," This a three-day visit to the country by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Manoj CG and Liz Mathew discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the Congress party and the Muslim community. Manoj CG fact-checks the claims made by the Prime Minister, while Liz explains the significance of the regions where the comments were made and why they raise concern.

    Next, Indian Express’ Mihir Vasavda details the challenges that wrestler Vinesh Phogat faced while trying to qualify for the Paris Olympics. (18:12)

    And finally, we give a quick update about Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief for the Australian broadcasting firm ABC News, who claims that she was denied a visa extension by the Indian government because her reports "crossed a line." (27:18)

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  • This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
    It’s the 23rd of April and here are today's headlines.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh, hit out at the Congress party again for “appeasement” and “vote bank” politics. He termed the opposition as a party that “divides the country on the basis of religion.” He said the party skipped Ayodhya's Ram Mandir consecration ceremony because “they think they are bigger than Lord Ram”.

    Amidst reports about added sugar content in baby food sold by Nestle in India, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre about action taken regarding “misrepresenting advertisements for things like foods for babies, children, and elderly” sold by Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies. The raised the issue while hearing a contempt of court case against Patanjali Ayurved for allegedly flouting its orders. The bench clarified that it is a PIL and is in the larger interest of the consumer public to know which way they are going and how and why they get misled and how agencies are acting to prevent that misuse.

    A Delhi court today extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K Kavitha till 7th of May 7 in the money-laundering case related to the excise policy. Kejriwal had been sent to Tihar Jail on April 1 after the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja sent him to judicial custody till April 15. His judicial custody was later extended till April 23. Meanwhile, Kavitha, a Telangana Member of the Legislative Council who has been under the scanner of central investigating agencies for almost two years, was arrested by the ED from Hyderabad on March 15.

    The Bombay High Court today dismissed a suit challenging Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin’s position as the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community by his challenger Syedna Taher Fakhruddin. While pronouncing the verdict on Tuesday, Justice Patel clarified he has kept the verdict “as neutral as possible for personalities involved” as ‘feelings will run high’ and he has decided the issue “on proof and not faith”. After the verdict, the Dawoodi Bohra community issued a press release praising the “landmark judgement”.

    As per the ‘State of the Climate in Asia 2023’ report, Asia faced the most disasters in the world. In total 79 events of extreme weather, climate, and water-related hazards in 2023 affected over nine million people in the region, directly killing over 2,000 people. The report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said over 80 per cent of the reported hydrometeorological hazards in Asia were flood and storm events.

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

  • First, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah informs us about the ongoing tensions in Manipur and recounts the events of the state's first day of polling.

    Next, Indian Express’ Amit Kamath discusses the achievement of 17-year-old Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh, who has become the youngest ever to win the prestigious candidate tournament. This tournament is held to determine who will challenge the reigning World Chess Champion (12:10).

    And in the end, discuss the Election Commission’s notice issued to the Shiv Sena (UBT) regarding its new theme song and examine Uddhav Thackeray's response to this development (23:48).

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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 April and here are today's headlines.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh today, said the lives of Muslim women have been secured with “Modi making a law against triple talaq”. Talking about the increase in Haj quota, he also mentioned that he requested the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to increase the Haj quota for the “Muslim brothers and sisters”. The PM also accused the Congress and Samajwadi Party of practising “appeasement politics” and “never doing anything for the political, social and economic upliftment of Muslims”.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to Tihar Jail authorities alleging that he was not being administered insulin despite flagging his peaking sugar levels. He accused the prison authorities of lying over the issue under “political pressure”. Referring to newspaper reports, the AAP national convenor wrote he was “pained” that the prison authorities had made “false and misleading statements” regarding his health.

    A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday cancelled the illegal recruitment of 23,753 teachers and non-teaching staff by the 2016 School Service Commission , ordering them to return their salaries with interest. The court also ordered fresh recruitment against the posts within 15 days. Terming the verdict “illegal”, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to appeal against it. The bench observed that the OMR sheets of Group C, Group D, Class IX and X were manipulated in 2016, making all the recruitments illegal.

    Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge while speaking at The Indian Express Idea Exchange said that Narendra Modi is the first PM who exaggerates so much. Stating that INDIA alliance will come back with strong numbers and defeat the BJP, Kharge added that it’s not the Opposition but the people who want change. He said, quote, "The BJP’s nervousness is evident from the fact that its leaders are campaigning intensely in every gully compared to the past when they would hold just two or three meetings in a district. Modiji is nervous himself." Unquote.

    D Gukesh, the 17-year-old from Chennai who was the second youngest player ever to compete at the prestigious Candidates tournament, has become the youngest ever winner of the event. It will also make him the youngest ever to compete at the World Chess Championship. This comes after his draw against Hikaru Nakamura in the final round of the Candidates chess tournament. He became India’s youngest grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, seven months, 17 days and overhauled the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top ranked player for the first time after 36 years last year.

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