At CPI rally in Patna, Nitish blames Congress for INDIA losing steam
Patna (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday blamed the Congress' preoccupation with assembly polls in five states for the INDIA coalition's inability to build on the momentum it had gained in recent months.
The JD(U) leader's remarks to the effect came at a rally, held here by the Communist Party of India which was evocatively themed 'Bhaajpa hataao Desh bachao' (dislodge the BJP from power, save the country).
Speaking in the presence of senior leaders like CPI general secretary D Raja, the Bihar CM recalled that parties opposed to the current dispensation had come together to form the new coalition.
"But, of late, there has not been much progress on that front. The Congress party seems to be more interested in the five assembly polls. In the INDIA coalition, all of us had agreed to assign the Congress the leading role. But it appears they will respond and call the next meeting only after they are through with the ongoing elections", said Kumar who had hosted the first meeting of opposition leaders here in June which set the tone for the formation of the new coalition.
He also charged the BJP, which he had dumped about a year ago, with trying to pit Hindus against Muslims while noting with satisfaction that Bihar has remained relatively free from communal disturbances.
The JD(U) leader lambasted the ruling BJP at the Centre for "trying to alter the country's history, to hide the fact that it had played no role in the struggle for independence".
Turning towards Raja, he recalled his close association with the Left parties since the 1980s when "CPI and CPI(M) had worked together to help me win my first election".
"In Bihar, we used to admire the Left for its progressive outlook. Its rallies used to be attended by a substantial number of women in times when this was not a common sight", said the septuagenarian.
"All Left parties have the same origin. You should consider becoming a single entity again", Kumar remarked in a lighter vein, to which the CPI general secretary replied with a broad grin.
In his speech, Kumar also touched upon the alleged muzzling of the media by the current regime at the Centre, claiming that good work done by his government in the state did not get adequate coverage.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
