INDIA bloc represents 60 pc of nation: Rahul Gandhi
Aizawl (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that the opposition INDIA alliance represents 60 per cent of the country, more than the BJP does.
Gandhi alleged that both major parties of Mizoram MNF and opposition ZPM are being used by the BJP to gain a foothold in the Christian-majority state.
He promised old age pension of Rs 2,000 per month, gas cylinders at Rs 750 and support for entrepreneurs if the Congress comes to power in Mizoram, which is going to assembly polls on November 7.
Addressing reporters in Aizawl, where he is visiting to campaign for party candidates, Gandhi said the opposition alliance will defend the "idea of India" by protecting its values, constitutional framework and freedom of people irrespective of religion or culture to express themselves and live in harmony.
Lashing out at the BJP and its ideological parent RSS, Gandhi said, "Their vision for our nation is different from ours. We believe in decentralisation whereas the BJP believes that all decisions should be taken in Delhi."
He asserted that the Congress will win all the upcoming assembly elections in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
"We will decimate the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. We had wiped them out in Chhattisgarh and will defeat them again. We trounced the BJP in Rajasthan in previous polls and will repeat it this time. We will do the same in Northeast. Nobody should underestimate the idea of Congress," Gandhi added.
Asserting that the Congress helped lay the foundation of the country and that the grand old party has a record of defending that foundation, he accused the BJP of attempting to capture the entire institutional framework of the nation.
"Different states in the Northeast are facing attacks from the BJP and RSS, threatening the foundations of your religious beliefs and languages. RSS believes that India should be governed by a single ideology and organisation, which we are precisely opposing.
"We want the people of Mizoram to take decisions for their future. We want them to be comfortable in expressing themselves, their religious or social practices. We do not believe Mizoram should be ruled directly from Delhi. We believe in devolving power to the people of the state," he said.
Alleging that the BJP was using MNF and ZPM as a platform to gain a foothold in Mizoram, he said that the upcoming assembly polls is a fight to defend the idea of Mizoram and protecting its residents' freedom, tradition and religion.
"While the Mizo National Front (MNF) is directly allied with the BJP, it is very clear that the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) is not fighting the saffron party," he said.
"The Congress will form the government in Mizoram. People of the state understand what is happening... The real question of the election is whether the RSS is going to control Mizoram or not. It can do so through the MNF or ZPM," he added.
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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.
