BJP opposes hate speech Bill as party indulges in provocative speeches: CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the BJP is opposing hate speech legislation passed by the state legislature, as the saffron party is allegedly involved in making hateful and provocative speeches.
He said the government has brought in the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill to maintain peace and brotherhood in society and to put an end to hate speeches.
The Bill has been passed by both houses of the state legislature, amid BJP and JD(S)' strong opposition, during the winter session in Belagavi that concluded on December 19. It will now be sent to the Governor for his assent, for the Bill to become law.
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The BJP, which has termed the Bill as "draconian", "direct attack on free speech" and "dangerous tool for political vendetta", has written to the Governor of Karnataka not to give assent to the Bill.
"Only those making hate and provocative speech will oppose (the Bill). If you don't make such speeches, why will some file a criminal case against you?" Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question.
Asking as to why the BJP is worried, he said, the proposed legislation is applicable to everyone, whether they are from the Congress, BJP, JD(S) or any other party.
"Why are you (BJP) opposing? Will there be peace in society if there are hate speeches? To maintain peace and brotherhood in society, this Bill has been brought. Hate speeches have increased in recent days, so to prohibit them, we have taken this step," he added.
Asked as to why the BJP is opposed to the Bill, the CM said, "It means that they are making provocative speeches."
The Bill proposes a jail term of one year, extendable up to seven years, with a fine of Rs 50,000 for a hate crime. For repeated offences, the maximum imprisonment will be seven years, with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
Stating that the funds under the "Gruha Lakshmi" scheme have not been released to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries for the months of February and March, Siddaramaiah said, "We are examining its release."
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Rs 2,000 monthly assistance is being paid to the woman head of every family under the Gruha Lakshmi.
To a question on BJP targeting the government regarding the non-release of funds, Siddaramaiah said, "Is BJP giving (funds) to target us? ...we have given money to beneficiaries for 23 months so far, can we give it without having funds? Is it possible to misappropriate the money when money is paid directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts?"
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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.
