Rajya Sabha approves resolution on Jammu and Kashmir
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Monday approved a resolution abrogating Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories with Home Minister Amit Shah saying the controversial provisions were responsible for poverty and lack of development in the state.
Allaying opposition fears of all hell breaking loose after the move, Shah replying, "nothing will happen" and it won't be allowed to turn into another battle torn Kosovo.
"It was heaven on earth and will remain so," he said replying to the debate on the resolution and the bill which were taken up together.
He said full statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at "appropriate time" and after "normalcy" returns. The Bill provides for bifurcation of the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"Article 370 is biggest hurdle to normalcy in the state," he said adding his government was committed to making Jammu and Kashmir the most developed state in the country.
Terrorism, he said, cannot be eliminated from the state until Article 370 and 35A are in existence.
The two articles of the Constitution, which give Jammu and Kashmir a special status and does not allow all laws of India to be applicable to the state, have hindered development and breeded corruption, he said.
Shah said rule of three families in the state during their 70 years since independence did not allow democracy to percolate and it breeded corruption.
Article 370 ruined Jammu and Kashmir and is responsible for poverty in the state, he said. This despite, Rs 14,255 per capita being allocated to J&K as against Rs 3,681 per capita national average, he said.
Insisting development was being stalled in the state because of Article 370, he said real estate prices haven't moved in sync with national average while a bag of cement costs Rs 100 more in the state than anywhere else in the nation.
Tourism did not develop in the state because of restrictions on purchase of land for outsiders, he said adding no industry can be set up in J&K because of Article 370.
Healthcare is crippling in Jammu and Kashmir as no private hospital could be set up due to restrictions placed by Article 370 and 35A, he said. Similar is the situation for education.
Right to Education, which guarantees children below a certain age, cannot be implemented in Kashmir, he said. "Why should valley children not get benefit of education," he asked.
After abrogation of Article 370, J&K will truly become integral part of India, he said.
More than 41,400 people have been killed due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Whose policy responsible for the deaths, he asked. Article 370, he said, was a temporary provision and how long can a temporary provision be allowed to continue.
Rajya Sabha approved a bill to extend 10 pc reservation to economically weaker sections in the state as well as the resolution on abrogating Article 370 by voice vote.
TMC, which vehemently opposed the resolution, walked out before Shah began to reply to the debate on it.
However, the bill to bifurcate the state was approved by 125 votes in favour and 61 against it. One member abstained. Opposition BSP, BJD, AIADMK and YSR-Congress voted in favour of the bill.
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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.
