Bengaluru (PTI): A case has been registered against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya following a complaint by a Congress leader alleging that the saffron party leader promoted enmity and instigated people by posting a video on social media portraying Rahul Gandhi in a bad light, police said on Wednesday.

The complaint was lodged by the Congress Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member Ramesh Babu in connection with a tweet posted by Malviya.

The tweet showed an animated video allegedly depicting Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party in poor light.

According to the FIR, Malviya tweeted a video with captions, "Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game" and "More dangerous are people who are pulling strings of #Raga like Sam P, staunchly anti-India, they leave no stone unturned to defame India overseas, just to embarrass Hon'ble PM @Narendramodi ji."

Malviya has been booked under sections 153(A), 120(B), 505(2) and 34 of the IPC which pertain to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony' and conspiracy.

Soon after the FIR was registered, Malviya reposted the same tweet with a caption in Hindi, "Rahul Gandhi Videshi Taaqaton ka Mohra" (Rahul Gandhi a pawn of foreign forces).

Bengaluru South Lok Sabha member Tejasvi Surya tweeted: "The FIR filed against Sri @amitmalviya is politically motivated. Plain and simple".

"Case is registered under 153A and 505(2) of IPC for his alleged statement against Rahul Gandhi. Both the above sections deal with promoting enmity between groups. So, what is Rahul Gandhi? An individual or a group or a class? We will challenge this in the court & ensure justice," Surya said.

Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, who had accompanied Babu on June 19 to lodge the complaint, told reporters here today that the BJP cries foul whenever it faces the brunt of law.

"They (BJP) have a problem with following the law of the land and they have a problem with the Constitution. And if we enforce the law or the constitution they have a problem with that," he alleged.

The son Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge further said: "I would like to ask the BJP, tell me which part of the FIR that has been lodged against Malviya with a malafide intention. Who is the creator of the video? Who is the one spreading the video? Who is getting the video to have enough traction on social media? Who is spreading these lies? I have promised the people of Karnataka that fake news will be reined in."

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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.