Eviction row: Is Cong leader Venugopal 'super CM' of K'taka, asks state BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Accusing Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal of intervening in Karnataka's administration in light of an eviction row here, opposition BJP on Sunday asked whether he is "super CM" of the state.
Karnataka deserves respect, autonomy, and honest governance, and not high-command "theatrics", Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Assembly R Ashoka said.
"Karnataka is not a colony of Rahul Gandhi and his coterie."
He was responding to Venugopal's post on 'X' regarding the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Kogilu village.
Stating that he has spoken to CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, Venugopal in the social media post on Saturday had said, he had conveyed "the AICC's serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre."
"They have assured that they will personally engage with the affected families, put in place an appropriate mechanism for addressing grievances, and ensure rehabilitation and relief for those impacted," Venugopal added.
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Venugopal's statement came in the wake of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan criticising the demolition drive as the "brutal normalisation of the bulldozer raj".
LoP Ashoka asked, "Who is K C Venugopal to intervene in the administration of Karnataka. Is he a Super CM, or does the Congress high command believe elected state governments function on Delhi diktats."
Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected chief minister and Cabinet, not by an AICC General Secretary, he said. Expressing a party opinion is one thing, but issuing moral sermons and pressure tactics on a state government is "blatant overreach" and an insult to federalism, the BJP leader added.
"What's more troubling is the rank hypocrisy. Has K C Venugopal ever shown the same urgency when medical and other waste from Kerala have been illegally dumped along Karnataka's borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife? Has he spoken up for Karnataka's environment, farmers, or border districts with the same concern and compassion," he asked.
"Silence there. Sermons here."
Stating that this selective outrage exposes the truth, Ashoka said this is not about humanity or sensitivity, it's about Congress high command politics, Kerala appeasement, and election optics, especially when top party leader Priyanka Gandhi represents that state in the Lok Sabha.
"Karnataka's dignity, self-respect, and administrative authority cannot be compromised to please party managers sitting in Delhi. The people of this state did not vote for a remote control government," he said.
Humanitarian concerns must be addressed through law, due process, rehabilitation, and accountable state mechanisms and not through telephonic or social media instructions from party officials with no constitutional role, he added.
Following Vijayan's criticism, Shivakumar had shot back at the Communist veteran, asking him to take care of Kerala's affairs while Bengaluru will be managed by the incumbent government.
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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.
