BJP protests row over Jerusalem, Haj ads on bus tickets in Tirupati
Tirupati(AP), Aug 23: Bus tickets carrying advertisements of Jerusalem yatra and Haj pilgrimage issued to devotees proceeding to the famous Lord Venkateswara temple at nearby Tirumala triggered a protest by the BJP here on Friday against the state-run transport corporation.
As a controversy broke out over the issue, Endowment Minister Vellampalli Srinivas said the tickets were not meant for Tirupati and an inquiry has been ordered.
The BJP workers raised slogans and staged a sit-in at the office of the Regional Manager of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC).
Later, they submitted a letter seeking a detailed probe into the matter and sought stringent action against those involved in the distribution of the tickets.
Reacting to the issue, Andhra Pradesh Endowment Minister Vellampalli Srinivas said the tickets meant for Nellore in the state were printed during the previous TDP regime for promotion of pilgrimage of other religions under a government-sponsored scheme.
A probe was ordered into the issue, he said in a press release adding those responsible would be identified and punished.
BJP State Secretary G Bhanu Prakash Reddy told PTI it was not good on the part of APSRTC to issue bus tickets carrying advertisements of other religions to the visiting devotees of Lord Venkateswara here and sought a detailed probe.
In Telangana, BJP's lone MLA Raja Singh condemned the issuance of the tickets and urged Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to take action against those responsible.
"... As per rules, any campaign about non-Hindu religions cannot be done at a revered place like Tirupati.. I ask Jagan Mohan Reddy ji to take action against those who committed this," a report from Hyderabad quoted him as having said in a video message.
The over 2,000 year-old Lord Venkateswara shrine in Tirumala is a major pilgrim centre for Hindus and draws lakhs of devotees throughout the year from across the country and abroad.
The APSRTC alone operates buses to Tirumala from Tirupati.
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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.
