Controversy erupts as former Bengaluru Police Commissioner imply Muslims' role in Kerala blast
Kochi: In a tragic incident at the Kalamasheri Convention Center in Kochi, Kerala, a woman lost her life, and at least 40 others sustained injuries in a series of blasts.
Retired IPS officer and BJP leader, Bhaskar Rao, triggered controversy after he shared shared a controversial post on social media, implying the involvement of Muslims in the attack.
Dominic Martin, the alleged perpetrator of the explosion, surrendered to the police and confessed his responsibility in a Facebook Live video. The incident occurred around 9 am, and by 11:20 am, it had garnered national media attention.
Speculation about the identity of the culprits was rampant, leading the Kerala Police to issue a warning against the dissemination of fake news. At 4:20 pm, ADGP MR Ajith Kumar confirmed the surrender of the accused Dominic Martin and provided details about the case.
However, the controversy ignited when Bhaskar Rao, the former police commissioner of Bengaluru, posted a message on social media at 2:21 pm, indirectly implicating Muslims in the blast. Rao's post, which suggested a connection between the explosion and the Muslim community, triggered a significant debate and drew criticism from various quarters.
Despite the revelation of the actual perpetrator and his subsequent surrender, Bhaskar Rao did not delete his post or issue a clarification regarding his statement
There was a long lull in Bomb blasts in the country; Do more and more appeasement and bring Terror into your City, Neighbourhood and to your Door Step. Misplaced vote bank politics of decades by Congress and CPM have kept Muslims uneducated, backward and criminalising them……
— Bhaskar Rao (@Nimmabhaskar22) October 29, 2023
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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.
