Umar Khalid’s father recalls meeting Zohran Mamdani in US ahead of activist’s bail
New Delhi: Days before jailed activist Umar Khalid was granted a 14-day bail to attend his sister’s wedding, his father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, met New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the United States and discussed Khalid’s prolonged incarceration.
Ilyas in an exclusive interview to NDTV, said he met Mamdani on December 9 for around 25 minutes. The meeting was sought by Ilyas to thank Mamdani for reading Khalid’s jail diary in 2023 and for expressing solidarity with him, NDTV reported on Saturday.
"He said he always thinks about Umar's incarceration and that he must get bail now," Ilyas recalled, adding that Mamdani drew parallels between himself and Khalid for raising issues concerning common people.
During the meeting, Mamdani reportedly wrote a letter to Khalid. “Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” said the note signed by Mamdani.
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Ilyas, who is also a spokesperson of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said that when Mamdani asked if he could help further, he replied, “Just pray.” Ilyas said that he was present during the recent arguments in the Supreme Court and hoped that something positive would unfold soon.
Mamdani's letter stirred controversy with BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia calling the case against Khalid an internal matter of India.
Umar Khalid has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, in which 53 people were killed. He was granted interim bail from December 16 to 29 to attend his sister’s wedding.
US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin and six other lawmakers wrote to the Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra, expressing concern regarding the "prolonged pre-trial detention of individuals charged in connection with the February 2020 violence in Delhi,” including Khalid.
The lawmakers said that human rights organisations, legal experts and international media had raised questions about the fairness of the investigation and legal process in Khalid’s case.
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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.
