Same-sex marriage: Jamiat welcomes SC verdict, says it reinforces institution of marriage
New Delhi (PTI): Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's refusal to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying the order "reinforces the preservation of the traditional institution of marriage."
A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court Tuesday unanimously refused to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, ruling that it is within Parliament's ambit.
The top court, however, recognised equal rights for queer people and their protection, as it called for sensitisation of the general public against gays.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hindi (Maulana Mahmood Madani faction) hailed the ruling as "landmark" and noted that the court arrived at the decision after carefully examining the arguments presented by various social, governmental, and religious organisations.
In a statement, Madani welcomed the verdict and emphasised that the ruling reinforces the preservation of the traditional institution of marriage, which has been a fundamental pillar of our society for centuries.
"It underscores the importance of upholding the moral and ethical principles that have long defined our cultural identity," Madani said.
The Jamiat chief commended the court for its judgement in "maintaining a delicate balance between the protection of individual rights and the preservation of our cultural ethos."
The apex court, while passing four separate verdicts, was unanimous in holding that there is "no unqualified right" to marriage, and same-sex couples can't claim it as a fundamental right under the Constitution.
The bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was critical of the Centre's stand that the pleas for legal validation of same-sex marriage was reflective of an urban elitist concept.
Queerness is neither an urban nor an elite concept or characteristic, said the apex court, which pronounced the verdicts on 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.
It, however, differed on certain aspects, especially on the applicability of adoption rules for queer couples.
The five-judge bench comprising the CJI, and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli, and P S Narasimha concurred on the main issue that the court can't accord legal validation to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, and said the task has to be performed by Parliament.
However, Justices Bhat, Kohli and Narasimha, in two separate judgements, differed with the CJI and Justice Kaul on certain legal aspects.
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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.
