No Pak soldier or citizen died in Balakot air strike: Sushma Swaraj
Ahmedabad, Apr 18: External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj Thursday said no Pakistani soldier or citizen died in the air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force across the border in response to the Pulwama terror attack in February.
Addressing women party workers here, she stressed on a 2014-like full majority BJP-led government this time also, saying former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not do everything which he wanted to because he was heading a coalition administration.
The IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot area on February 26, in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Swaraj said the air strike was carried out in self- defence.
"When we carried out air strike across the border after the Pulwama terror attack, we had told the international community that we took that step in self-defence only.
"We had told the international community that the armed forces were instructed not to harm any Pakistani citizen or its soldier during the strike," she said.
"The Army was told to target only the terror camps of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, which had taken the responsibility for the Pulwama attack.
"And, our Army did the same without harming any Pakistani citizen or soldier," said Swaraj.
The foreign minister said the entire international community supported had India over the air strike.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said he has emerged as a top international leader who sets the agenda for the world.
Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Swaraj said the then Congress-led UPA government had failed to take along other countries to isolate Pakistan in the world despite the fact that 40 foreign citizens belonging to 14 countries had also died in the strike.
The External Affairs Minister said Pakistan had raised objection to the invitation extended to India for a meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu Dhabi last month, but the host country UAE snubbed Islamabad.
Stressing on a full majority government led by the BJP this time also, Swaraj said Vajpayee could not do all the things he wanted because he was heading a coalition government (1998-2004).
Swaraj, who was a minister in the Vajpayee Cabinet also, said coalition governments face pressure.
"You must be wondering how Modiji could do so many things in these five years. He could do it because he was heading a full majority government.
"If he was running a coalition government, then he might have been in some pressure," she said.
"I have seen it. I was a minister in the Vajpayee government. Atalji wanted to do so many things.
"But, since he was heading a coalition government, he could not do all those things. Modiji could do it because people gave us a full majority," said Swaraj.
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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.
