BJP's Basangouda Patil Yatnal gets EC notice for 'vishkanya' remark against Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi, May 3: The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notices to Congress MLA Priyank Kharge for his "nalayak beta" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal for his "vishkanya" jibe at former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The separate EC notices said the two have prima facie violated provisions of the model code in Karnataka.
The notices came a day after a strong advisory was issued by the poll panel asking parties and their leaders to exercise restraint in their utterances during electioneering in Karnataka.
Both Kharge and Yatnal have been asked to explain by 5 PM Thursday as to why action should not be taken against them.
While Kharge is Congress' candidate from Chittapur, Yatnal is BJP's star campaigner and a candidate from Bijapur City.
In its notice to Kharge, the EC referred to a clause in the poll code which states that "Political parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders and workers of the other parties..."
It said "the Commission is prima facie of the opinion that you have violated the aforesaid provision of MCC by making the said statement."
In its notice to Yatnal, District Election Officer Koppal cited same clauses of the model code and said "a personal attack remark against a rival party leader is found to be made by you ...which is in violation of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct..."
The BJP had moved the Commission on Tuesday against Kharge for his remark while the EC had taken cognisance of Yaatnal's statement through media reports.
Taking serious note of the "plummeting level of campaign discourse" during electioneering in Karnataka, the Election Commission on Tuesday asked political parties and their star campaigners to exercise caution and restraint in their utterances and not to vitiate the election atmosphere.
ALSO READ: Cong slams BJP's 'double engine' pitch, says May 10 poll to propel 'derailed' Karnataka engine
The poll panel also referred to the instances of "inappropriate vocabulary and language" used during the ongoing campaign by people, "in particular, by those invested with the statutory status of star campaigner".
"Such instances have occasioned various complaints, cross complaints and have also attracted negative media attention," the EC said in a statement.
Campaigning for the May 10 polls is hotting up with the Congress and the BJP being engaged in a war of words.
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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.
