'BJP rewards hate': Opposition leaders slam ruling party over Bidhuri being given poll duty in Tonk
New Delhi (PTI): Opposition leaders have slammed the BJP over its Lok Sabha member Ramesh Bidhuri, who is in the eye of a storm for his derogatory comments against BSP MP Danish Ali, being given poll responsibility by the party in Rajasthan's Tonk district.
In a post on X, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said the BJP has "rewarded" Bidhuri for attacking Danish Ali with the "unspeakable words" in Parliament.
"BJP rewards 'hate'. Bidhuri rewarded for attacking Danish Ali (BSP) for the unspeakable words he used in the Special Session of Parliament. Made BJP in-charge of Tonk District in Rajasthan."
"Muslim population in Tonk 29.25 per cent. Symbolises 'hate' for political dividends," he said on Thursday.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said last night, "Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas' yeh sab hai inka bakwaas."
TMC MP Mahua Moitra also slammed the BJP and said Bidhuri had been "rewarded" for his remarks against a Muslim MP. "How does a showcaused person be given a new role by BJP? Narendra Modi ji, is this your Sneha Yatra for minorities, your love outreach?" she said on X.
With the Gurjar community present in large numbers in the Tonk district, which has four assembly seats, including the one held by senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, the BJP believes Bidhuri can help it swing the votes as he is also from the same caste.
Pilot is also from the Gurjar community.
Bidhuri's responsibility will be akin to the BJP's poll in-charge of the district, party sources said.
Bidhuri also posted on X that he attended a coordination meeting for the Tonk district held in Jaipur. Rajasthan BJP president C P Joshi chaired the meeting.
The BJP MP from South Delhi had been issued a show cause notice by the party after his derogatory words targeting Ali in Lok Sabha last week sparked massive outrage with the opposition demanding his suspension from the House.
Bidhuri's remarks targeting Ali during a discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission last Thursday sparked a furore, with opposition leaders calling for stringent action against the BJP MP.
Opposition parties have rallied around Ali and targeted the BJP on its MP's remarks. Several members of the Congress, TMC and NCP among others have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the strictest action against Bidhuri.
‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’—yeh sab hai inka bakwaas https://t.co/SSOK9ohQ1R
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 27, 2023
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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.
