The Supreme Court on February 22 refused to stay the Election Commission decision to allot party name Shiv Sena and bow and arrow symbol to Eknath Shinde-led faction. The court however has allowed a prayer by the Thackeray faction to allow an Election Commission interim order allotting it the name ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)‘ and symbol ‘Flaming Torch’ to “continue to remain in operation”. “We cannot stay an order of the Election Commission at this stag. They have succeeded before the EC,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud told the Uddhav Thackeray camp.
AAP’s Shelly Oberoi is new Mayor, Aaley Iqbal is Deputy Mayor
AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi was elected the new Mayor of Delhi on February 22. Ms. Oberoi secured 150 votes while BJP candidate Rekha Gupta secured 116 votes in what was the fourth attempt at conducting the polls. Later in the day, AAP candidate Aaley Mohammed Iqbal was elected Delhi’s new Deputy Mayor defeating the BJP’s Kamal Bagri by a margin of 31 votes. Mr. Iqbal bagged 147 votes against Mr. Bagri’s 116.
Home Ministry sanctions prosecution of Manish Sisodia in ‘collection of political intelligence’ case
The Union Home Ministry has granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged “snooping on political opponents through a specially designed feedback unit (FBU)”. The sanction has been granted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the MHA said in a letter to the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. In response to the development, Mr Sisodia said, “To file false cases on your opponents is a sign of a weak and cowardly person. As the Aam Aadmi Party grows, more cases will be filed against us.”
Gujarat High Court on February 22 directed the Oreva Group to pay compensation of ₹10 lakh to kin of each deceased of the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy, and ₹2 lakh to each injured within four weeks. The Morbi-based Ajanta Manufacturing Limited (Oreva Group) was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchu river that collapsed on October 30 last year. A division bench of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt asked the company to pay the interim compensation.
Imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir anti-people move: National Conference, PDP
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on February 22 charged that the imposition of property tax in Jammu and Kashmir was part of the BJP’s larger agenda of impoverishing the people of the Union Territory. “The real aim is to make people of Jammu and Kashmir so poor that they don’t demand anything. Look at the rest of the country, 80 crore people are getting free ration. They don’t ask for jobs or cheaper fuel. They just wait for the 5 kg grain so that they can feed their children. They want to bring Jammu and Kashmir also to the same level. This is part of a larger agenda to bury people of J&K,” she told reporters at the PDP office in Srinagar. “People just have to refuse to pay the tax peacefully,” she added.
Hijab row | Supreme Court to consider listing students’ plea
Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on February 22 agreed to consider listing an application by Muslim students claiming they are not being allowed to wear hijab and take exams scheduled on March 9 in government colleges across Karnataka. Advocate Shadan Farasat, for the students, urged the court to list and hear the case urgently as their academic future was at stake. “They have already lost a year. Though they are private college students, the exams are held in government institutions. Allow them to take part in the exams,” Mr. Farasat submitted.
Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh has said the attempts by some students’ organisations to screen the controversial BBC documentary were aimed at creating “chaos” in the varsity and asserted that indiscipline on the campus will not be tolerated. “The motive behind (the screening) was to create chaos and cause indiscipline. They managed to do so as well,” Mr. Singh said. “I will not allow such behaviour on the campus that is why a seven-member committee was constituted to investigate the matter,” he added.
China approves $700 million loan to Pakistan: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar
Pakistan’s all-weather ally China has approved a loan of $700 million to the cash-strapped country, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on February 22. The announcement by Dar on the loan by the Board of China Development Bank came a day after Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed a money bill aimed at raising tax revenues to fulfil the demands set by the International Monetary Fund for seeking a $1.1 billion loan facility to avoid an economic meltdown.
6 killed in Israeli Army raid in West Bank: Palestinian officials
Palestinian officials say at least six Palestinians have been killed and dozens were wounded in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. They say that a 72-year-old man was among the dead. The raid on February 22 took place in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, a scene of frequent Israeli military activity. It was one of the bloodiest incidents in nearly a year of heavy fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and raised the possibility of further bloodshed.
Russia, China show off ties amid maneuvering over Ukraine
Russia and China showcased their deepening ties on February 22 in a series of meetings closely watched for signs that Beijing might offer stronger support to the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine. The visit by Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official, to Moscow comes as the conflict in Ukraine continues to upend the global diplomatic order.
South Korean court grants legal status for same-sex couple in landmark ruling
The Seoul High Court ruled that the state’s health insurer should provide spousal coverage to a same-sex couple, in a decision that lawyers and advocates said marked the first legal recognition of same-sex union in South Korea. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that a same-sex dependent was ineligible for benefits afforded other common law couples by the National Health Insurance Service. Ryu Min-hee, a lawyer for the plaintiff couple said the High Court’s decision was the “first recognition of the legal status of a same-sex couple.”
Asylum requests in EU for 2022 reached 7-year high of nearly 1 million
Nearly 1 million people applied for international protection in the European Union in 2022, according to data published on February 22, bringing the number of asylum requests to a level not seen since the refugee crisis of 2015-2016. The EU agency for asylum said 966,000 asylum applications were made in the 27 EU countries as well as in Norway and Switzerland last year, up 50% from 2021. That doesn’t include more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees who were granted temporary protection in the EU, a special mechanism activated to avoid collapsing already backlogged asylum systems.
Adani firm repays ₹1,500 crore to SBI Mutual Fund, Aditya Birla Sun Life
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has repaid ₹1,500 crore loan and will repay another ₹1,000 crore in commercial papers due in March. The Adani Group firm paid ₹1,000 crore to SBI Mutual Fund and ₹500 crore to Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund on commercial papers that matured on Monday, as scheduled. “This part prepayment is from the existing cash balance and funds generated from the business operations,” a company spokesperson said. “This underscores the confidence which the market has placed on the prudent capital and liquidity management plan for the group.” An SBI MF spokesperson said it has no further exposure.
WPL | UP Warriorz name Alyssa Healy captain for inaugural season
UP Warriorz have named star Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy as their captain for the inaugural Women’s Premier League, scheduled to be held next month in Mumbai. The UP Warriorz, owned by Capri Global Holdings Private Limited, have put together a dynamic and well-balanced squad for the franchise based league. “I am delighted to have the chance to captain the UP Warriorz in the inaugural edition of the historic WPL that will be played in Mumbai. The WPL is a tournament we have all been keenly waiting on, and the UP Warriorz have a fantastic squad, waiting to making a splash once things get going,” said Healy.
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