Chandrababu Naidu cleared by ED in ₹371 crore scam, Congress alleges 'Modi’s washing machine'
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been cleared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged ₹371 crore Skill Development Corporation scam. Naidu had been accused of misappropriating funds, causing a purported loss of over ₹300 crore to the state exchequer.
Reacting to the clean chit, Supriya Shrinate, head of the Congress party’s social media department, criticised the move on social media platform X, alleging that Naidu has benefitted from “Modi’s washing machine.” Shrinate pointed out that Naidu, who was arrested in September 2023 for the same scam, has now received a clean chit after aligning with the BJP-led government.
Naidu was arrested on September 9, 2023, based on an investigation by the Andhra Pradesh CID, under the leadership of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. He spent 50 days in Rajamahendravaram prison before being granted interim bail on medical grounds on October 31, 2023, for cataract surgery.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court granted him regular bail on November 20, 2023, and a week later, the Supreme Court allowed him to resume public activities.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Police have informed the Supreme Court that Naidu will not be arrested in connection with the FiberNet case until October 18, as his petition related to the Skill Development Corporation scam remains pending.
याद होगा सितंबर 2023 में चंद्रबाबू नायडू जेल गये थे
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 16, 2024
अब ED ने उसी ‘स्किल डेवलपमेंट कारपोरेशन’ से जुड़े घोटाले में उन्हें क्लीन चिट दी है
यह जादू इसलिए हुआ क्योंकि वह मोदी की ‘वॉशिंग मशीन’ में धुल गए
नरेंद्र मोदी का विरोध करो तो भ्रष्टाचारी, उनके साथ आ जाओ तो केस ख़त्म
ढोंगी! pic.twitter.com/QVePgL1szy
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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.
