Venkaiah Naidu breaks down as Rajya Sabha mourns death of Jaipal Reddy
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday broke down as he read out an obituary reference for his old friend and former union minister S Jaipal Reddy, saying he was pained by his death.
When the House met for the day, Naidu read out an obituary reference for Reddy, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 77.
Reddy, who represented the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Upper House for two terms -- from April 1990 to April 1996 and from September 1997 to March 1998, was union minister holding different portfolios during 1997-98 and 2004-14, he said.
"In passing away of Shri S Jaipal Reddy, the country has lost a veteran parliamentarian, an outstanding orator and an able administrator," he said.
Recalling his personal association with Reddy in a choking voice, Naidu recalled that they used to sit on the same bench of Andhra Pradesh Assembly when the two were members.
"Reddy was a friend, senior and guide because he was six years senior to me," he said, adding the House deeply mourns the death of its former member.
MPs stood in their places for a moment as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed soul.
When members took their place, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh Assembly used to meet at 8 am in those days and he and Reddy would often meet over breakfast at 7 in the morning to discuss issues
"The amount of knowledge, depth of understanding and mastery of language, both English and Telugu and some Urdu, is really remarkable," he said as he attempted to hide his emotions.
"It is really painful that he has left us," he said.
Wiping his tears, Naidu said he was sorry he could not control his emotions. "I am sorry I cannot control my emotions because of 40 years of association."
The House congratulated MC Mary Kom, the six-time world champion and a Rajya Sabha member, for winning the Gold medal in the 23rd President's Cup in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on Sunday.
The Indian boxers finished their campaign with nine medals, including seven gold and two silver, helping the contingent win the 'Best Team' award.
Naidu congratulated Kom as also other medal winners including Simranjit Kaur, Jamuna Boro, Monika, Neeraj Swami, Ananta Prahlad Chopade and Ankush Dahiya.
Members thumped their desk to congratulate the Indian contingent.
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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.
