Authorities know about Maoists' weapons, they will be brought following due process: CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru, Jan 10: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said authorities are in the know about the place where the weapons of six Maoists, who have surrendered, are kept, and that they will be brought following due process.
He also defended the Maoists surrendering before the government, which has come under criticism from the opposition BJP, stating that the intention of the administration is to end Naxalism and the people involved in such activities should come to the mainstream giving up arms.
"Weapons are there. Their mahajar will be done and they will be brought. We know where it is. After mahajar it will be brought," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said that the government's intention is that there should be no Naxalism, and it wants any agitation to be peaceful.
ALSO READ: Police making efforts to locate, recover weapons disposed of by Maoists: Karnataka Home Minister
"There should be no armed agitation. Babasaheb Ambedkar too said the same thing that constitutional methods should be used. There should be no usage of unconstitutional methods. No one should take law into their hands in the name of protest or agitation," he added.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that six surrendered Maoists have not handed over their weapons, and the police are working to locate and recover them from the forest where they are believed to have been disposed of.
Noting that one Maoist, expelled from the surrendered group, is still at large and efforts are underway to trace him, the minister said there is no one else involved in Naxal activities in the state.
To a question about one Maoist being still at large, the CM said, "We are not sure whether one more Maoist is there are not. If he is there, I appeal to him too, to come to the mainstream."
To a question by farmers' protest against the central government, demanding for a 'legal MSP guarantee', Siddaramaiah said, "The Government of India is not a government that is pro farmer. Farmers are protesting, demanding to provide a legal framework for MSP, but they (govt) are not ready to do so. They are not agreeing to farmers' demands; this is an inhuman and anti-farmers government."
Asked about BJP planning 'Bhima Sangama' campaign as part of which party leaders will have food with Dalit families, Siddaramaiah, calling it a "joke", said, BJP's feelings and respect towards Ambedkar is known from Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement (referring to his alleged comments during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha last month).
"The BJP and its leaders speak about changing the Constitution. RSS leadership and Savarkar from Hindu Mahasabha had opposed the Constitution. While Congress is committed to the Constitution, we are protecting and implementing the Constitution and its objectives," he said.
Stating that he held discussions with the protesting Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers) from Karnataka, demanding a fixed monthly honorarium and other benefits, the CM said, he has told them the government will ensure that they get Rs 10,000 every month including incentives, and they have said that they will withdraw the protest.
"Currently Rs 8,000 is being given to them. It will be made Rs 10,000, including incentives. For those to whom the incentives don't add up to a total of Rs 10,000, we will give it," he said, adding that the fiscal position of the state is good.
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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.
