BJP 'biggest enemy' of farmers, Maharashtra demands 'maha parivartan':Mallikarjun Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed that the BJP is the "biggest enemy" of Maharashtra's farmers and asserted that the state has decided that farmers will benefit only by removing the double engine government from power.
In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge slammed the BJP over farmer suicides in Maharashtra and said the promise of making the state drought-free is a "jumla" (rhetoric).
"BJP is the biggest enemy of Maharashtra's farmers. 20,000 farmers committed suicide. Huge cut in funding in farming. Promise of Rs 20,000 crore water grid turned out to be false. Promise of making Maharashtra drought-free is a 'Jumla'," he said. Kharge also attacked the BJP over its "refusal to give compensation to the farmers" while insurance companies are being showered with Rs 8000 crore.
He hit out at the BJP over the export ban and high export duty burden on onion and soybean farmers and the huge drop in cotton and sugarcane production, putting farmers in distress.
Kharge claimed that the state's milk cooperatives in crisis and the government itself has admitted it.
"Maharashtra has decided that farmers will benefit only by removing BJP's double engine government from power! Maharashtra demands MahaParivartan!" the Congress president said.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The opposition MVA comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
The Election Commission last Tuesday announced that Maharashtra will vote in one phase on November 20 to elect its 288-member Assembly.
The counting of votes will be held on November 23, a day before the current Maharashtra assembly completes its term.
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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.
