Morning Brief: Centre Denies U.S. SEC Summons Request In Adani Bribery Case; EU Unveils €150 Billion Defense Plan; Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde Resigns; And More

Catch up on the day’s must-read stories with Swarajya's roundup of the morning's headlines.

Adani Bribery Case: Centre Denies U.S. SEC Summons Request

The Union government has denied receiving any request from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seeking assistance in serving summons to Gautam Adani and others in connection with the Adani v. SEC bribery case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu, the Ministry of Law and Justice’s Department of Legal Affairs (DLA) stated, “No such request has been received till date,” as of February 21.

The SEC has “charged Gautam Adani and [his nephew] Sagar Adani, executives of Adani Green Energy Ltd., and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global Ltd., for conduct arising out of a massive bribery scheme,” the Commission said.

EU Unveils €150 Billion Defense Plan Amid Rising Security Concerns

The European Commission on Tuesday proposed borrowing up to €150 billion ($157.76 billion) to fund EU governments' rearmament efforts, a move driven by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing concerns over Europe’s security independence from the U.S.

The announcement came just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine, underscoring a widening rift between European leaders and Washington over how to manage Russia’s threat and secure the continent’s defense.

"We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. "We are in an era of rearmament. And Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending."

Other Developments

Home Minister Amit Shah Directs Manipur Administration To Restore Religious Sites Damaged In Ethnic Violence

During a security review meeting in New Delhi on March 1, 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructed the Manipur administration to take urgent steps to restore religious sites damaged or vandalized during the May 2023 ethnic violence, a senior government official told The Hindu.

The directive aims to provide a healing touch to both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, fostering peace and reconciliation in the conflict-hit state.

In August 2023, the Manipur government informed the Supreme Court that 386 religious institutions belonging to both communities had suffered damage in the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.

Following this, in September 2023, the top court directed the State government to identify and protect all religious structures, including Christian churches, Hindu temples, Sanamahi temples, mosques, and other places of worship, ensuring they are safeguarded from further encroachment or destruction.

This latest move signals a renewed effort by the Centre to restore communal harmony and bring stability to violence-hit Manipur.

Purse Seine Fishing Ban In Tamil Nadu Faces Supreme Court Scrutiny

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition filed by fishers challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s ban on purse seine fishing. The petitioners cited a report by a Central government expert committee, which found no fault with this method of fishing.

In a 2023 judgment, the Supreme Court had permitted purse seine fishing beyond Tamil Nadu’s territorial waters but imposed strict conditions to regulate the practice beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit.

Representing the petitioners before a Bench led by Justice A.S. Oka, senior advocate K. Parameshwar and advocate Jaya Sukin argued that local fishers frequently cross in and out of territorial waters while fishing. Justice Oka noted that the designated authority would need to review the expert committee’s report if it supported purse seine fishing.

In May 2024, the Central government submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, affirming that the regulation of "fishing and fisheries beyond territorial waters" falls under the Union government’s purview.

“The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, has not imposed any restriction on purse seine fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beyond territorial waters,” the affidavit stated.

From The States

Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde resigns

Amid widespread outrage over the gruesome murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde resigned from the Cabinet on March 4, 2025, citing health and moral grounds.

His resignation has further fueled demands for him to be named a co-accused in the case, given his close ties to Walmik Karad, the alleged mastermind behind the killing.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties in Maharashtra are set to move a breach of privilege notice against the government for failing to inform the Legislature about Munde’s resignation while the House was in session.

The probe in the matter has been completed and the police have filed a charge sheet. Judicial inquiry is proposed too. Remembering my conscience and due to medical advice given by the doctors due to my ill health, I have given my resignation as a minister to the Chief Minister,” Dhananjay Munde tweeted.

Kerala Assembly Passes Resolution Against Centre’s Deep-Sea Mining Plan

The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the central government to withdraw its decision to allow deep-sea mineral mining off the state's coast. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was passed amid uproar from the opposition UDF, whose MLAs staged a protest in front of the Speaker’s dais, accusing him of acting as an "agent" of the ruling front.

The Kerala government has firmly opposed the Centre’s move, stating that deep-sea mining along the state's coast cannot be permitted under any circumstances. The concerns of the fishing community regarding the environmental and livelihood impact of such projects have already been communicated to the Centre.

The government has also pointed out that both the original provisions of the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, and the recent amendments made last year do not serve the interests of the states.

Kerala has maintained that any decision on exploiting deep-sea resources must prioritize environmental sustainability and the well-being of coastal communities.

Follow along for more updates throughout the day.