This Week in Explainers: Will AAP survive the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal?

Arvind Kejriwal is the newsmaker of the week. The Delhi chief minister’s arrest on Thursday in the state’s now-scrapped excise policy case came as no surprise. It led to massive protests and the detention of some of the Aam Aadmi Party leaders.

The Enforcement Directorate’s move is a big blow to the party. The Lok Sabha elections are nearing and with its main man under custody, what can we expect next? More on this later.

The election season is in full swing. The BJP is befriending some allies and snubbing some.

In Bengaluru, there has been no respite from the water crisis. The scarcity is taking a toll on everyday living.

The other headline-grabbers were Zomato and slain singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s parents. In our weekly roundup, we explain the top news stories from the country.

1. The biggest story from India is undoubtedly the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. It came after nine summons and the Delhi high court’s refusal to protect the AAPP chief. The Enforcement Directorate swung into action on Thursday. Kejriwal was first grilled and then arrested in the Delhi liquor policy case, leading to protests in the national capital and traffic jams.

But did Kejriwal, who first rose to fame as an anti-corruption crusader , swindle money? What are his links to the alleged scam , which has already led to several top leaders being jailed? We explain.

Arvind Kejriwal delivers a speech in Delhi. His arrest in the state liquor policy case comes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. File photo/PTI

2. So what comes next for the AAP? Will Arvind Kejriwal resign? Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj have said no. They said he would continue to be the CM and the AAP chief and govern Delhi from jail . Of course, it is easier said than done. There are challenges galore.

The arrest comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. While the AAP might have a plan in place, Kejriwal is the face of the party. He has a mass appeal like few other AAP leaders. So will his absence hurt the party’s chances in the upcoming polls? Or will the sympathy factor work in its favour? Here’s our analysis .

3. Talking about elections, a lot is unfolding on that front. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is forging new deals. In Bihar, the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) was snubbed with no place in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). RLJP chief Pashupati Paras resigned as Union minister, quitting the Modi government. It is his nephew Chirag Paswan with whom the BJP has sided. A chacha-bhatija contest is on the cards. We tell you all about it.

Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief Pashupati Kumar Paras resigned from his post in the Union government over seat-sharing in Bihar. File photo/PTI

4. Moving on from poll politics, we take a look at what the Indian Army has been up to. We’ve noticed it’s a subject that interests our readers.

Our forces continue to up their technological capabilities. It has recently initiated the establishment of STEAG – Signals Technology Evaluation and Adaptation Group. This elite unit is dedicated to researching and evaluating futuristic communication technologies like 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and quantum computing for military applications. We explain why this group is significant .

5. Some things have remained unchanged from the earlier week – like the Bengaluru water crisis. The shortage of the resource has thrown life out of gear. If that wasn’t enough, the supply of vegetables has taken a hit and prices are soaring.

Many techies have left the city for their hometowns. The IT hub’s water woes could also affect its real estate market, with potential investors reconsidering their decision. Here’s the complete story .

Residents of Ambedkar Nagar collect potable water from a private tanker in Bengaluru on 11 March. AP

6. Last Sunday, Sidhu Moose Wala’s parents were with blessed with a baby boy . The news comes almost two years after the Pujabi singer-politician was shot dead. The baby was born through IVF.

But the celebrations have soured. Moose Wala’s father Balakur Singh has accused the Punjab government of harassing him. You’d wonder why.

Singh and his wife Charan Kaur, aged 58 and 60 respectively, are under the scanner because of the use of IVF to have their second child. They now have to provide documents to prove that the baby is legit. The Centre has reportedly asked the AAP government for the report on Kaur’s pregnancy. A letter written by the Union health ministry pointed out that there is an age limit – between 21 and 50 – years for a woman to opt for assisted reproductive technology in India.

So did the couple flout rules? In this piece, we take a look at the controversy and IVF rules in India .

7. Congratulations are in order for Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. He reportedly married recently and announced a new service – a “pure veg” fleet earlier this week. The latter created quite a stir. And it has once again brought to the table the “veg vs non-veg” debate in India.

In this explainer , we take a deep dive into India’s dietary preferences and the role of religion and caste in people’s food choices.

Zomato’s new feature allows customers to order food from restaurants that serve vegetarian food alone. It will go ’live’ next week. File photo/Reuters

Happy reading! Happy Holi!

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