Congress played vote-bank politics: PM Modi on Udaipur tailor killing
Jaipur (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already "accepted defeat" by requesting him not to stop schemes initiated by the Congress in Rajasthan, and gave a guarantee that the BJP will not stop any scheme but only try to improve it.
Addressing a public rally in Chittorgarh, Modi also gave a clear indication that no chief minister face will be projected in the poll-bound state.
The BJP, he said, will contest the assembly election on the party's symbol 'lotus'.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP state president CP Joshi, leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, union minister Arjun Meghwal were among the political leaders present at the rally.
There has been much speculation whether Raje will be declared the chief ministerial face by the BJP in Rajasthan.
On Gehlot's demand that Modi should give a guarantee that no scheme initiated by the Congress government be stopped if the BJP comes to power, Modi said, "Gehlot knows that the countdown of the Congress government has started. He in a way has congratulated the BJP by publicly requesting that the schemes should not be stopped. I assure you that BJP will not stop any scheme of public interest but will try to improve it. This is Modi's guarantee".
Gehlot had recently demanded that Modi should guarantee that Congress government's schemes will not be discontinued if the BJP comes to power in the state.
Attacking the Gehlot government over the issue of corruption and women's safety, the prime minister said he is pained when atrocities take place against daughters anywhere in the country but charged that the Congress has made this a tradition here.
Modi also said that the alleged paper leak mafia in the state will be held accountable and given the harshest punishment.
Referring to tailor Kanhaiya Lal's brutal murder in Udaipur last year, Modi asked whether the people of the state had voted the Congress for this.
"Had you imagined what happened in Udaipur? People come on the pretext of getting clothes stitched, slit the throat of the tailor without any fear and make a video and make it viral, and Congress gets worried about votes in that too," he said.
Lal, 48, was killed with a cleaver inside his shop in Udaipur on June 28 last year. The assailants claimed they hacked Lal to death to avenge an alleged insult to Islam.
The prime minister also said that it is not possible to celebrate any festival peacefully in Rajasthan because of the "anti-development" environment created by the Congress.
Modi said the BJP will bring prosperity, employment and development in the state besides ensuring safety of women.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
