Corruption has reached frightening levels in Karnataka: KSCA President D Kempanna
Bengaluru, May 9: The Karnataka State Contractors' Association has appealed to the people to cast their vote in accordance with their conscience, while reminding them that corruption has reached frightening levels in the state that votes on Wednesday.
The KSCA President D Kempanna had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that contractors had to shell out 40 per cent commission in public projects, a charge which the Congress had made it a key campaign issue to target the ruling BJP in Karnataka.
On Tuesday, Kempanna said corruption has reached frightening levels in the state.
"The 40% commission in public projects has already claimed the lives of several contractors; the public too is forced to live with defective, dangerous and life-threatening infrastructure", he said.
ALSO READ: Come out and vote in large numbers: CEC Rajiv Kumar to Karnataka voters
Kempanna said democracy works when people cast their vote in accordance with their conscience. "Corruption deeply hurts our collective conscience", he added.
Sharing the letter, which Kempanna confirmed was written by him, on its Twitter handle, Congress in Karnataka said, "This letter from the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA), urging people to vote wisely, is proof of how the corrupt 40% commission Sarkara has ruined the state of Karnataka."
ಇದುವರೆಗೂ 6ಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರು ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕಮಿಷನ್ ಕಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇಸತ್ತು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 9, 2023
40% ಕಮಿಷನ್ ಲೂಟಿಕೋರರ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಕಳಪೆ, ಕಾಮಗಾರಿಯಿಂದ ಜನರ ಜೇವಗಳಿಗೂ, ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರ ಬದುಕಿಗೂ ಕುತ್ತು ತರಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ವಿವೇಚನೆಯಿಂದ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಮತ ಚಲಾಯಿಸುವಂತೆ ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರ ಸಂಘ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾವಂತ… pic.twitter.com/IGHYdNiQze
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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.
