Derogatory comments row: K'taka Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar dares BJP's CT Ravi to take oath before god
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 24: Karnataka Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, who has accused MLC C T Ravi of making derogatory remarks against her in the Legislative Council, on Tuesday challenged the BJP leader to come to Dharmasthala and take 'Pramaana' (oath) in the presence of the deity, to speak the truth.
Ravi has denied Hebbalkar's allegation, terming it "false".
"I have devotion and faith in god. He (Ravi) has said several times that he did not use derogatory words. Let's keep the law on one side, the law will take its course. This is not a challenge, I don't even expect a response from a person like him... he is trying to mislead the people, his party workers and leaders," Hebbalkar said.
Addressing reporters here, the Minister said, "You believe in god C T Ravi, Dharmasthala is very close to your native, people across the state believe that Dharmasthala and lord Manjunatha there is another name for Dharma, make a Pramaana (take an oath) on lord Manjunatha and tell the truth.
ALSO READ: CID probe ordered into Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar's complaint against BJP MLC CT Ravi
You come there along with your wife, I will come with my family. You have raised a question of morality, if you have morality come there."
Ravi allegedly used a derogatory word against Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on December 19 during an altercation between them, when the House was adjourned for a while. He was arrested on the same day and taken in a police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, following a complaint by Hebbalkar.
The Karnataka High Court on December 20 ordered the immediate release of Ravi in its interim order, observing that police failed to follow the procedures in arresting him. However, the bench directed Ravi to cooperate with the investigation and be available for questioning.
Dharmasthala on the banks of the Nethravati river in Dakshina Kannada district, has an 800 years old history. According to legends here, anyone who utters a lie in front of lord Manjunatha will face severe consequences.
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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.
