Contractor's suicide: BJP targets Priyank Kharge without evidence, says Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday defended his cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge, embroiled in a controversy over a contractor's suicide, saying the BJP was making allegations without evidence.
The home minister also hoped that the truth would come out from the CID probe.
The contractor has left behind a seven-page note in which he made allegations against a person, who is said to be Kharge's aide.
BJP has demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should ask Priyank Kharge to resign immediately, and has set a January 4 deadline to hand over the case to the CBI, failing which the party has threatened to lay siege to the Minister's residence after organising a huge rally in Kalaburagi.
"Priyank Kharge himself has clarified that he has no role in it and has nothing to do with it. He said that his name was not there in the suicide note. Despite this the BJP is trying to fix him. There should be some basis. If there is any proof that Priyank Kharge is directly involved then fine, but without any evidence unnecessarily accusing a person is not right," Parameshwara said, responding to a question on BJP's demand.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, BJP is a national party, and they should not stoop down to this level, as they too have run the government in the past, and they lead the government at the Centre.
"While running a government, we all function with responsibility. Priyank Kharge is also functioning responsibly. Unnecessary allegations are being made against him, if there is any supportive evidence then we will accept," he added.
Sachin Monappa Panchal, a 26-year-old contractor, ended his life by falling under a train on January 26, leaving behind a suicide note alleging that Raju Kapanur, a close associate of Kharge, had issued death threats demanding rupees one crore for awarding a contract.
The note also accused seven others of cheating by not awarding him a contract, despite taking a Rs 15 lakh bribe. The contractor alleged that they threatened to kill him if he failed to pay the Rs 1 crore.
An FIR has also been filed against Kapanur and five other Congress leaders in Kalaburagi on Saturday on the charge of allegedly conspiring to murder a few BJP leaders, including MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu, based on the suicide note.
To a question on police not arresting accused Raju Kapanur yet, the Home Minister said, the case had been handed over to CID.
"Unnecessarily making allegations is not fine, let there be a CID probe, truth will come out from it.....whether financial transaction was there or other things will be known from the inquiry," he said.
Responding to a question, Parameshwara said as Priyank Kharge has been highlighting mistakes of BJP and JD(S) publicly on several occasions both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly, they don't like it, and hence they are targeting him.
To a question on the state government's decision to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the bail granted to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, Parameshwara said, "It was decided at the government level in this regard, an order was issued yesterday. An appeal will be filed in the Supreme Court."
Reacting to BJP MLC C T Ravi meeting the Governor, alleging that he was illegally arrested, and ill-treated by the cops in Belagavi, based on a complaint by Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accusing him of using a derogatory word against her in the Legislative Council, the home minister said, CID is probing it and facts would come out.
"Action will be taken based on that," he added.
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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.
