JD(S) a 'private limited party' of a family, says PM Modi
Beluru, Apr 30: Targeting both Congress and JD(S) in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called the parties a "sign of instability", and cautioned the people that they can't afford to give the state's fortune into their hands.
Calling JD(S) the 'B-team' of Congress, he said Congress and its leaders' main aim is to serve a family sitting in Delhi, while JD(S) is completely a "private limited party of a family".
"This time, Karnataka has decided to end the decades of 'jod-thod' (coalition) politics. Congress and JD(S) both are signs of instability. In whichever states Congress governments are remaining, its identity there is because of rivalry between its leaders. You (people) are too seeing what is happening in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh," Modi said.
Addressing a public meeting here in Hassan district, he said "People in those states are fed up, development has come to a halt. All the poll guarantees of Congress have become its bundle of lies. There are internal rifts within the Congress."
Hassan is the home district of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and is a JD(S) bastion. JD(S) had won six out of seven Assembly seats in the district in 2018, while BJP had won one (Hassan segment) making the saffron party's first win in the Vokkaliga-dominated district in the recent past.
ALSO READ: Congress associated with '85 per cent commission': PM Modi says at public meeting in Karnataka
Noting that Congress' 'B-team' JD(S) is "dreaming", the Prime Minister said it wants to somehow win 15-20 seats, and wants a share in the "loot".
"In Karnataka, Congress and JD(S) are showing off that they are opponents. You can look at the statements of Congress and JD(S) leaders, ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, they were abusing each other, and the election results were about to be announced, they had joined hands. Such showoff fights continue between Congress and JD(S) like WWF (wrestling entertainment)...even in Parliament, on every issue JD(S) and Congress are together," he said.
Every vote you cast in favour of JD(S) will go into Congress' account, Modi charged, adding that voting for Congress means putting a "break" to Karnataka's development.
"Voting for Congress also means putting Karnataka on a reverse gear. Karnataka can't afford to give its fortune into the hands of Congress and JD(S) at any cost," he said.
Stating that there is one more "unique" connection between Congress and JD(S), the Prime Minister said: "Karnataka Congress will have to serve the family sitting in Delhi for 24 hours (round-the-clock), from selection of candidates to selection of CM, whatever the decision is, ask the Delhi family first. Only those who surrender before the family can survive in Congress."
"On the other hand, there is a party in Karnataka -- the JD(S) -- which is completely a private limited party of a family. The big faces of this family will put their entire strength in securing their families. Many headlines relating to the party will be about which member of the family has an upper hand, and not about what is their agenda for the people," he said, ridiculing the Deve Gowda-led outfit.
While one party unit in Karnataka (Congress) is indulging in serving a family in Delhi, the other party itself belongs to a family, Modi said. In such a situation, BJP is the only party that considers every common family of the state as its own.
"BJP thinks about your family and cares for it...," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
