February 20: Top news at 2 pm

Developing news

*Edappadi K Palaniswami announces closure of 500 more state-run liquor outlets in his first set of orders as TN CM.

DMK moves Madras High Court challenging trust vote

Opposition DMK on Monday moved the Madras High Court seeking to declare Saturday's vote of confidence in the Tamil Nadu Assembly null and void. Counsel for DMK, R Shanmugasundaram also sought an urgent hearing of the petition. The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice R Mahadeven posted the petition for hearing on Tuesday. Chief Minister EK Palaniswami had won the trust vote 122-11 in the 234-member assembly aided by the eviction of main opposition DMK and walkout by its allies, amid stormy scenes during which mikes were uprooted, chairs toppled and sheets of papers torn.

SC rejects plea against UP government's pension scheme for poor, says “it is a beautiful one”

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea challenging the Akhilesh Yadav government's 'Samajwadi' pension scheme for the poor. A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul said the scheme is meant for the poor and "it is a beautiful one". The court was hearing the appeal filed by 'Hindu Front for Justice' against the Allahabad High Court order which did not find merit in the plea against the scheme. It was alleged that it provides 25% reservation for minorities which is not permissible under the Constitution.

FICN worth ₹96,000 seized along Indo-Bangla border in WB

BSF troops seized a cache of 48 Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) of ₹2,000 from a man who was apprehended along the Indo-Bangla border in Malda town of West Bengal. Officials said the seizure was made last evening from Baishnabnagar area of Malda near National Highway-34, as part of an intelligence-based operation. This is the second such seizure along the South Bengal frontier of the Border Security Force that comprises five border towns of West Bengal.

The BSF said it apprehended Nadia resident Shariful Shah (32) with the cache as he was allegedly carrying the notes and was attempting to board a bus from the highway. "The quality of the 48 ₹2,000 notes, with the face value of Rs 96,000, is better than what was seized by the force sometime back along the India-Bangladesh International Border last week when 100 such notes were seized," they said.

MEA: Action against Saeed first step in bringing him to justice

India today said the action against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his colleagues was a first logical step in getting the region rid of the twin menaces of terrorism and violent extremism. "Hafiz Saeed is an international terrorist, the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attack and responsible for unleashing a wave of terrorism against Pakistan's neighbours through LeT/ JuD and their affiliates," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup said.

"Effective action mandated internationally against him and his terrorist organisations and colleagues is a logical first step in bringing them to justice, and in ridding our region of the twin menaces of terrorism and violent extremism," he said.