It is BJP that sent feelers for alliance in 2018: BRS' Rama Rao on PM Modi's remarks; BJP denies it
Hyderabad (PTI): Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying he nipped in the bud Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's desire to be a part of NDA, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao has said it was in fact the other way around and the saffron party had sent feelers for an alliance in 2018.
In a message posted on social media platform X on Wednesday, Rama Rao said the BRS has never allied with anyone during polls ever since Telangana was formed, despite several requests. And in fact it is the opposition that have come together setting aside their ideological differences in an attempt to defeat the "formidable" KCR.
"In 2018, 'Biggest Jhoota Party' through its State President Dr K Laxman sent feelers to ally with BRS. Could the offer have been made without the approval of his Delhi bosses? Here is the then BJP state president making a statement on record," Rama Rao said, posting some old paper clippings suggesting that the then BJP Telangana chief Laxman had said his party was ready to support BRS (then TRS) if the latter fell short of a majority in the 2018 assembly polls.
Refuting Rama Rao's comments in the post, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Laxman said they were made with ill intentions and aimed at resorting to false propaganda.
"During the GHMC polls, BRS had a tie-up with AIMIM and together they got the mayor seat BJP would never encourage or have alliance with any family run or dynastic political party," Laxman said in a statement on Wednesday.
Rama Rao, however, further alleged that "political tourists" with selective amnesia who are fabricating stories should know about the BJP's alleged overtures and said the BRS had rejected the offer outright the very next minute it was made.
Modi had on October 3 at a public rally said he had rejected a request from Chandrasekhar Rao to join the NDA, after the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections in 2020, citing his "deeds."
The PM's remarks were vehemently refuted by the ruling BRS, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a message posted on X on Tuesday, took the opportunity to reiterate that, according to him, the BRS and BJP indeed have an understanding. The prime minister has "openly accepted" what he (Rahul) had said at a rally last month that the BRS stands for "BJP Rishtedaar Samiti", Rahul Gandhi said on X.
Rama Rao in his post asked why the BRS should ally with a party (BJP) which couldn't even keep its deposit in 105 assembly segments. He added, "Why does BRS need support of BJP in GHMC elections when we had the strength to form on our own?"
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.
