BJP to launch protests in Karnataka against Congress govt 'failure' to fulfill poll guarantees
Bengaluru: The opposition BJP in Karnataka will stage protests against the alleged delay in implementation of the five poll promises made by the ruling Congress in the run-up to the assembly elections.
The agitation will take place both inside and outside the assembly simultaneously from Tuesday till July 14 when the session ends seeking effective implementation of the guarantees, according to BJP sources.
While the BJP legislative party will hold the demonstration inside the assembly, former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, D V Sadananda Gowda, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel will stage a protest at the Freedom Park.
The second day of the assembly session is expected to be stormy if the BJP goes ahead with its plans.
The saffron party has been targetting the Congress especially over the implementation of ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme, which provides 5 kg grains to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
Due to unavailability of required amount of rice, the Siddaramaiah dispensation missed the July 1 deadline for the scheme and has decided to credit money into the bank accounts of each beneficiary at the rate of Rs 34 per kg till the rice was sourced. The Food Corporation of India stopped selling rice directly to states owing to a central government order last month.
While ‘Shakti’ scheme offering free ride in non-luxury buses for women has already been launched, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme of giving Rs 2,000 a month to women head of the APL/BPL ration card holding families will come into effect in August.
The benefit of Gruha Jyoti scheme, promising up to 200 units of free electricity, will start reflecting in the bills from August.
Similarly, Rs 3,000 a month to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders who passed in 2022-23 under Yuva Nidhi scheme will be launched soon.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
