Ballari shooting was pre-planned conspiracy, alleges BJP''s Janardhana Reddy
Ballari (Karnataka) (PTI): BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy on Wednesday alleged that the killing of a political worker during a clash here on January 1 was the result of a pre-planned conspiracy and squarely blamed ruling Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy for the incident.
Congress worker and Bharath Reddy supporter, Rajashekhar was killed in the bullet allegedly fired by the private gunman of Congress leader Sathish Reddy.
The violence broke out over putting up a banner announcing the unveiling of Maharshi Valmiki statue in Ballari town. The banner was put up near Gangavathi MLA Janardhana Reddy's house.
As many as 26 people comprising three private gunmen, BJP and Congress workers have been arrested in connection with the case so far.
Janardhana Reddy also shared a video clip of the incident that purportedly showed a Congress leader's private gunman firing at Rajashekhar, who died instantaneously.
Addressing reporters, the former minister said he had made public, crucial video evidence to establish how Rajashekhar was shot during the violence, asserting that the sequence of events clearly pointed to a deliberate act rather than an accidental firing.
"How did Rajashekhar die in the clash that took place on January 1. I have today released before the media the video showing how he was shot," Reddy said, seeking to use the footage to substantiate his claim.
Terming the act a cold-blooded murder, he further alleged that the firing was carried out using a private gun and was "executed on the explicit instructions of Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy".
According to Reddy, Rajashekhar was attempting to flee when he was shot at point-blank range, leaving no scope for doubt about intent.
Holding the legislator directly responsible, he demanded immediate arrest and said the BJP had taken the matter seriously and would pursue it firmly.
There was no immediate response from Bharat Reddy.
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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.
