We will fight, will go to court: Farooq Abdullah on Article 370
Srinagar/New Delhi: Comparing the revocation of Article 370 by the Centre as "body being carved", National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said they will fight and go to court against the Modi government's decision.
In his first remarks since the Union government on Monday revoked provisions of Article 370 to take away state's special status, and proposed its bifurcation into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, Abdullah said a "dictatorial" authority has been invoked and not a "democratic" one.
Talking to TV channels in Srinagar, Abdullah said,"as soon as the gates will open, our people will be out, we will fight, we'll go to the court. We're not gun-runners, grenade-throwers, stone-throwers, we believe in peaceful resolution of things."
"They want to murder us, we are ready, my chest is ready, fire here, not into my back," 81-year-old Abdullah said in an emotional outburst.
He also contested Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion in Parliament that he was neither under detention nor arrest and was at his home out of his own will.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said there was a big padlock on his door and he had to "force himself" to come out and speak to the media.
"I heard the statement of the home minister of India that Farooq Abdullah is free and is staying in the house out of his own will. I thought how can he be lying when a DSP has been placed outside my house and no one can come in and no one can go out," he said.
"I feel sorry that the home minister of India can lie like this," he added.
Responding to NCP's Supriya Sule in Lok Sabha, Shah said,"he (Abdullah) is neither under detention nor under arrest. He is at his home on his own will."
When Sule wondered whether the National conference leader was unwell, Shah said it was up to the doctors to say. "I can't carry out the treatment, it was up to doctors," he said.
Getting teary-eyed while talking to reporters, Abdullah said after "dividing the regions, are they going to divide people's hearts also. Are they going to put Muslims one side, Hindus one side, Buddhists one side? Is that what they want? Is this what India is. My India is for all, everyone who believes in a secular nation, who believes in unity."
He also said,"how do you think you would feel when your body is being carved. The body that stood together in all odds, fought every evil unitedly. Today how do you think people feel who have stood by this nation as to how we have been betrayed."
The Articles 370 and 35A were guaranteed by the government of India, he asserted.
"Dictatorial authority has been invoked and not a democratic authority that we thought they will invoke. I don't know how many have been arrested. Nobody is allowed to come in or go out, we are under house arrest," he said.
Abdullah said he knows only of his son Omar Abdullah and another former CM Mehbooba Mufti's arrest that too through the media.
"There is no written order but we have been placed under house arrest. We believe in law, we are not stone pelters or killers. We have never used the path of gun. We have always used Mahatma Gandhi's way...Why was this done? What was the need," he said.
"If it (the developments in J&K) is going according to the Constitution why the home minister could not wait when the matter is with the Supreme Court of India. Article 370 is not a presidential order, it is a constitutional guarantee," Abdullah said.
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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.
