Shinde camp ‘purchased’ Shiv Sena name and symbol for ₹2,000 crore, claims Sanjay Raut
Two days after the Election Commission of India recognised Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as real Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray loyalist and Sena MP Sanjay Raut on February 19 alleged that a ‘deal’ of ₹2,000 crore’ has taken place so far to ‘purchase’ Shiv Sena party name and its bow and arrow symbol. “I believe… a transaction worth ₹2,000 crore has taken place to get the election symbol and name… This is a preliminary figure, and is 100 % true. Soon many things will be disclosed soon. This has never happened in the country’s history,” Mr. Raut claimed. However, Shinde camp MLA Sada Sarvankar dismissed the claim and asked, “Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?”
Second Test victory sees India tightens grip on qualification for WTC Final
The race to qualification for the ICC World Test Championship Final took another turn on February 19 as India claimed a six-wicket victory over Australia to move a step closer to sealing their place in the June 7 game at The Oval. The World Test Championship has seen two years of intense competition in the longest format, and the second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy characterised the ebb and flow that has been present throughout, with both sides wrestling for control of the match before Rohit Sharma’s men triumphed on a dramatic day in Delhi.
CBI defers Manish Sisodia’s questioning in Delhi excise case
After Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on February 19 sought time to appear for questioning in the Delhi Excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation officials said he will not join the investigation on the day. CBI will reissue a fresh date soon, officials were quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The CBI on Saturday summoned the senior Aam Aadmi Party leader for questioning on Sunday.
The Congress on February 19 alleged that Gautam Adani’s elder brother Vinod Adani is at the centre of financial flows that leverage one group of Adani assets to send loans to another, and asked if this was not worthy of an investigation by the SEBI and the Enforcement Directorate. Posing a set of three questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the party’s “ Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun” series, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Adani group has made “misrepresentations” about Vinod Adani’s central role in its “nefarious activities”.
Congress aware of its role in uniting Opposition; plenary will give direction
The Congress on Sunday said that it well understood its role in uniting the Opposition, ahead of the 2024 general elections and would deliberate on this during the upcoming plenary session to be held next week in Chattisgarh. The party said it would also be decided at the plenary whether elections would be held to the Congress Working Committee—its highest decision making body. Congress general secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal said that the party had already taken an initiative in uniting the Opposition by inviting all like-minded parties during the recently concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra and while taking up the Adani issue in the Parliament.
Sharad Pawar says won’t get involved in row over allocation of ‘Shiv Sena’ name and symbol
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on February 19 said he has clarified his stand on the Election Commission’s decision to recognise Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real ‘Shiv Sena’ and allocation of the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it, and will not get involved in the controversy over it. “I do not want to get involved in the controversy regarding the name and symbol given to Eknath Shinde. I have already clarified my stand on the same two days back,” he said. Mr. Pawar on Friday said the loss of `bow and arrow’ will not make any difference to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction as people will accept its new poll symbol.
Law Minister Rijiju pitches for institutional arbitration; says AI can help arbitrators
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on February 19 batted for institutional arbitration in the country and pointed at loopholes in “ad hoc” arbitration, saying such proceedings are susceptible to court interventions which delay the final outcome. He also said artificial intelligence can help arbitrators in tasks such as document review and analysis, legal research, and drafting of awards. Addressing a Delhi Arbitration Weekend event at the Delhi High Court, he said majority of the people go for “ad hoc” arbitrations where the proceedings are not governed by pre-determined rules.
India saw record over 15,000 organ transplants in 2022: Union Health Secretary
India has witnessed a fast resurgence in organ transplant activities post COVID-19 and, for the first time, achieved more than 15,000 transplants a year in 2022, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on February 19. Along with this, there was an annual increase of 27% in the transplant numbers, Mr. Bhushan said at the “National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Scientific Dialogue 2023”, organised by the Union Ministry of Health.
Pakistan has ‘already defaulted’, says Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan has already defaulted amid looming fears that the cash-starved country may go bankrupt and blamed the establishment, bureaucracy and politicians for the prevailing economic crisis. Addressing a ceremony in his hometown Sialkot, he said that standing on its own feet was crucial for Pakistan to stabilise itself. “You must have heard that Pakistan is going bankrupt or that a default or meltdown is taking place. It (default) has already taken place. We are living in a bankrupt country,” he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune newspaper.
Israeli airstrikes kill 5 in Damascus, 15 injured: Syrian state media
Israeli airstrikes targeted a residential neighborhood in the Syrian capital of Damascus early on February 19, killing at least five people and wounding 15, Syrian state news reported. Loud explosions were heard over a central area of the capital around 12:30 a.m. local time, and SANA reported that Syrian air defenses were “confronting hostile targets in the sky around Damascus.” Syrian state media agency SANA, citing a military source, reported that five people had been killed, among them a soldier, and 15 civilians wounded, along with “destruction of a number of residential buildings.”
North Korea said on February 19 it had tested a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile the previous day in a “sudden launching drill” that confirmed its readiness for “mobile and mighty counterattack” against hostile forces. South Korea and the United States held a combined air drill involving a U.S. strategic bomber on Sunday in response to North Korea’s launch of the ballistic missile, South Korea’s military said. “The surprise ICBM launching drill ... is an actual proof of the DPRK strategic nuclear force’s consistent efforts to turn its capacity of fatal nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces into the irresistible one,” the state news agency KCNA said.
TCS not considering layoffs, hiring impacted employees from startups
Tata Consultancy Services is not considering any layoffs as it believes in grooming talent for longer careers once it hires an employee, a top official has said. The country’s largest information technology services exporter is also looking to hire startup employees who have lost their jobs, its chief Human Resources officer Milind Lakkad told PTI in an interview. The comments have come amid IT companies, including big tech giants, the world over laying off people due to a slew of reasons.
Saurashtra thrash Bengal by nine wickets to bag second Ranji Trophy title
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat returned a match haul of nine wickets, including 6/85 in the second innings, as Saurashtra thrashed Bengal by nine wickets in the summit clash to clinch their second Ranji Trophy title on February 19. Having given away a big first innings lead of 230 runs, Bengal, who were overnight 169/4 in their second essay, folded for 241, handing the visitors a mere 12 runs target to win the final.
