PM Modi implemented Gandhi's mantra of 'Swachhata hi Seva' through 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan': Shah
New Delhi (PTI): With the power of public participation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has implemented Mahatma Gandhi's mantra of 'Swachhata hi Seva' through the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
Shah participated in a cleanliness drive in Ahmedabad in response to Prime Minister Modi's appeal to all citizens for "one hour of shramdaan (voluntary labour) for swachhata" on the eve of Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2.
Wielding the broom, Shah participated in the drive to clean the Ranip bus stop and the surrounding area in Ahmedabad.
"God resides in cleanliness only," Shah said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi.
Prime Minister Modi has turned many problems of society into a mass movement and cleanliness is the first among these, he said.
"By infusing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with the power of public participation, Modi ji has implemented Gandhi ji's mantra of 'Swachhata hi Seva'," the home minister added.
Taking inspiration from the prime minister, every Indian is making an important contribution to the development of the country by making cleanliness an integral part of their lives, Shah said.
"Today, in response to Modi ji's call, I participated in a cleanliness drive in Ahmedabad. Let us all together contribute to building a clean and golden India," he said.
People from all walks of life, from politicians to students, wielded brooms and took part in the 'Swachhata hi Seva' campaign on Sunday in response to Modi's appeal.
According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, more than 9.20 lakh sites across the country have been adopted for the mega drive.
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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.
