Daily Briefing: Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail, row over Katchatheevu island, and more

With a Delhi court sending him to 15-day judicial custody, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal entered the Tihar jail complex on Monday evening. From fellow inmates to a special diet, here’s what life would be like for undertrial prisoner (UT) no. 670.

Meanwhile, the BJP has stepped up its attack on the Congress, saying that the Indira Gandhi-led government had given away the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. While Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai has claimed that the Centre is taking all possible measures to reclaim the territory, a senior Sri Lankan minister has told The Indian Express that India has not sent any official communication yet on the island.

Why is this speck of an island causing a splash in Tamil Nadu poll waters? We decode.

Only in Express

The Opposition parties have urged the Election Commission to “stop coercive action” by Central agencies to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha elections. There is a sense of “unease” in the poll panel over how to respond — if at all — to the Opposition’s demand.

From the Front Page

The Congress had accused the BJP-led Centre of “tax terrorism” after it received notices from the Income Tax department, raising demands of a total of Rs 3,500 crores. In a relief on Monday, the I-T department assured the Supreme Court that it will not take any “coercive steps” to recover the amount from Congress before the end of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Must Read

The Reserve Bank of India’s story of the last 90 years has generally been one of stellar achievement. We chronicle its early years, the 1991 reforms, and the often testy relationship with the government.

For level playing field, should EC rewrite rulebook? In the Opinion section, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa writes that the Model Code of Conduct is an evolving document just as human behaviour is.

Decision 2024: An outsider in the Nehru-Gandhi family, who never became an insider in the Sangh Parivar, Varun Gandhi has tried hard Hindutva and the middle path, and landed right at the crossroads again.

And Finally…

IPL 2024: Sriram Veera dissects how Mumbai Indians collectively combusted to disappoint home fans.

Delhi confidential: Congress has put out a short video of Sonia Gandhi at the Ramlila Maidan, including glimpses of her with Sunita Kejriwal, on its official social media handles with a caption “forgiveness is the virtue of the brave.”

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we speak about Mukhtar Ansari’s death, Arvind Kejriwal’s jailing and the felling of 21,000 trees in Mumbai in the past 6 years.

Until tomorrow,

Sonal Gupta and Navmi Krishna