Left slams India's abstention on Gaza resolution, CPI(M) announces protest on Sunday
New Delhi (PTI): India's abstaining from voting on a United Nations resolution calling for a truce in Gaza is "shocking" and shows that it is shaping its foreign policy as "a subordinate ally of US imperialism," the CPI(M) and the CPI said in a joint statement on Saturday.
The CPI(M) said it will hold a protest on Sunday at its AKG Bhawan office to express solidarity with Palestine.
In the joint statement titled 'Stop this Genocidal Aggression in Gaza,' Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI General Secretary D Raja said India's move negates its longstanding support to the Palestinian cause.
"It is shocking that India abstained on a Resolution overwhelmingly adopted by the UN General Assembly calling for a humanitarian truce titled 'Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations' in the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza," they said.
"India's abstention on a resolution that was overwhelmingly adopted shows the extent to which Indian foreign policy is being shaped by being a subordinate ally of US imperialism and the Modi government's actions for consolidating the US-Israel-India nexus. This negates India's longstanding support to the Palestinian cause," they said.
The two Left parties said as the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution, Israel stepped up its "genocidal air and ground attacks in the Gaza strip."
It also cut off all communications in Gaza which is home to 2.2 million Palestinians, they said, and called for an immediate ceasefire.
"Respecting the overwhelming mandate of the UN General Assembly there must be an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations must reenergize itself to implement the mandate of the Security Council for a 2-State solution with pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of State of Palestine," they said.
The decision to hold the protest on Sunday was taken in an ongoing session of the Central Committee of the CPI(M). The three-day meet which started on Friday will conclude on Sunday.
The protest will be attended by members of the Central Committee and the Polit Bureau of the party.
The 193 members of the UNGA, which met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session, voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, and South Africa.
The resolution was adopted with 120 nations voting in its favour, 14 against it, and 45 abstaining. Besides India, countries that abstained from voting, included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine, and the UK.
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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.
