BJP unable to mobilise funds as it's almost certain of losing 5 state elections: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at the BJP, alleging that the IT and ED raids are being carried out to blackmail rich businessmen and contractors to collect money, as the party is unable to mobilise funds like before and it is almost certain about defeat in the upcoming five state elections.
Targeting the BJP and its leaders for charging the Congress government led by him with corruption, the CM claimed that the J P Nadda-led party is already looking for lame excuses to explain its drubbing in the upcoming elections.
He was reacting to BJP's allegation that crores of rupees recovered from contractors during the recent IT department searches, was commission money collected at the behest of the ruling Congress in Karnataka to fund the party for elections in five states.
"The BJP is not being able to mobilise funds like before as it is almost certain about their defeat in the upcoming five state elections as well as in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, its biggest source of 40 per cent commission in Karnataka has also stopped now.
Hence, IT-ED attacks are being carried out to blackmail rich businessmen and contractors to collect money," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
Looking at the recent political developments, the BJP's defeat appears imminent in the assembly elections of the five states, the CM claimed. "So, the party is already looking for lame excuses to explain its drubbing. It won't be surprising if a statement from the BJP comes out the day after the election saying that we lost because of the Congress party's money power."
The details of money collected by BJP through electoral bonds is the proof that which party is involved in looting money for its electoral politics, the Chief Minister said, adding that between March 2018 and January 2023, electoral bonds worth Rs 12,008 crore were sold, of which Rs 5,272 crore belong to the BJP.
"Did the businessmen give this money voluntarily? Or were they blackmailed?" he asked.
Siddaramaiah alleged that former BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa went to jail after getting caught red-handed while taking hefty bribes, but when he was released on bail, BJP leaders carried him on their shoulders. "But now they are demanding our resignations for the money found in the house of some private contractor. Does the BJP have any morality?"
The faces of BJP leaders dominate in the state's history of corruption scandals, he said.
State BJP leaders such as former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, former ministers G Janardhana Reddy, Katta Subrahmanya Naidu and Krishnaiah Shetty, former MLA Sampangi, and Virupakshappa - all have been jailed on corruption charges. The people of the state are taking note of this and laughing at those accusing us of corruption, the Chief Minister said.
Alleging that former ministers K S Eshwarappa, Muniratna, K Sudhakar and B C Patil of BJP were accused of charging 40 per cent commission, Siddaramaiah said former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel have been implicated in the Bitcoin scam.
"Dr Ashwath Narayan, B Y Vijayendra and Araga Jnanendra (BJP leaders) are facing charges of involvement in the PSI recruitment scam. B L Santosh, Sunil Kumar and C T Ravi (BJP leaders) have been named in the election ticket fraud case. It is ridiculous that all of them are accusing us of corruption," he said.
"It is amusing to see ex-minister Eshwarappa, who was allegedly the reason behind the suicide of a contractor, and Yediyurappa, who has been jailed over corruption allegations, pontificating on the issue of corruption now," he added.
It is ironic that these BJP leaders, who have "looted money" from corporates and handed over the country to "the king of corporate corruption Adani", are talking about corruption today, the CM said.
"Each of the scams of businessman Gautam Adani is crossing lakhs of crores (of rupees). There is no accounting for the misappropriation of thousands of crores (of rupees). The leaders of BJP, especially (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, have not been able to answer even one of the countless questions asked by the Congress party in this regard."
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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.
