Meat, alcohol ban at three 'holy cities' now in effect: Punjab CM Mann
Chandigarh (PTI): The sale of meat, tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants are now prohibited in Amritsar Walled City, Talwandi Sabo and Sri Anandpur Sahib after a notification was issued by the Punjab government, according them 'holy city' status.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, in a video message on Sunday, said the decision to grant holy city status to the three places revered among Sikhs has now come into effect after a Punjab government notification.
Last month a resolution was passed unanimously during a special session of the Punjab Assembly held in Sri Anandpur Sahib, which was convened to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
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Later on December 15, a notification was issued by the state government granting 'holy city' status to Sri Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and the 'Galiara' area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
In his video message, Mann said there are five 'takhts' of Sikhs, out of which three -- Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda) and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (Sri Anandpur Sahib) are in Punjab.
"The Punjab government will make all necessary arrangements and provide facilities, including e-rickshaws, mini-buses, shuttle buses and other public transport services, to ensure that devotees arriving from across the world do not face any inconvenience," he said.
The chief minister said strict regulations will now apply in the holy cities. "Sale of meat, alcohol, tobacco, and any intoxicating substances will be completely prohibited," he said.
He assured that the cities will have appropriate development. "These cities are not only religious centres but also a very important symbol of our cultural heritage."
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire Sikh Sangat," Mann said.
"With the issuance of the notification, the decision has now come into effect, and the cities have officially attained the status of holy cities," 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.
