Bommai threatens retaliatory measure if Maha does not withdraw its health scheme in K’taka villages
Bengaluru (PTI): Terming the Maharashtra government's order extending benefits of its healthcare scheme to 865 villages in Karnataka, amid the ongoing border dispute between two states, as an act that threatens the federal system, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday warned of retaliatory measure if it was not withdrawn.
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah said, Maharashtra's move cannot be tolerated. "The consequences will not be right if it is not withdrawn immediately." In a series of tweets, Bommai alleged that in the name of providing insurance to the people on Karnataka's side of the border, the Maharashtra government is taking declaration letters from them stating that they belong to Maharashtra. "This is condemnable."
If the Maharashtra government continues its insolent behaviour, the Karnataka government will also implement a similar insurance scheme for the protection of the Kannadigas on the Maharashtra's side of the border.
A government resolution (GR) extending the benefits of the 'Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana' scheme to Karnataka villages, was issued by Maharashtra on Monday.
The order said 865 villages from 12 tehsils in Belagavi, Karvar, Kalaburagi and Bidar have been included under the 'Yojana'.
"Even though the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute is in the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government is trying to create confusion in the border areas of both the states. The order to insure some people on the Karnataka border is the height of insolence and is an attempt to disrupt ties between the two states", Bommai said.
Pointing out that Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah had agreed not to create any confusion on the border issue, he said now issuing an order to implement the Babu Jagjivan Ram health insurance scheme for 865 villages in Karnataka, is an act that threatens the federal system.
"The Maharashtra government should immediately withdraw its order and by respecting the instructions given by Amit Shah, should work towards safeguarding the relationship between the two states," he added.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said the Maharashtra Chief Minister is not giving any value to assurance and words of Union Home Minister and Karnataka Chief Minister regarding the border issue, and called on Bommai to act in this regard.
"The Belagavi border dispute is in the court. We are hopeful that Kannadigas will get justice. In the meantime, it is condemnable that Maharashtra is doing the mischief of digging up the boundary issue for political gains. Kannadigas will not tolerate this," the former Chief Minister added.
The border issue dates back to 1957 when States were reorganised on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to over 800 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently a part of Karnataka.
Karnataka maintains that the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report is final.
And, in an assertion about Belagavi being an integral part of the State, Karnataka built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha there, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the State Legislature and Secretariat, in Bengaluru.
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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.
