JD(S)' condition not as bad for it to align with BJP, says HDK
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy broke his party's silence on aligning with the BJP, asserting that their condition isn't desperate enough to join hands with the BJP.
Addressing the media at JP Bhavan in Sheshadripuram, Bengaluru, on Saturday, Kumaraswamy clarified that while his party sometimes cooperates with the BJP in the Assembly to oppose the government in power, they are not in a position to beg for support from anyone.
Taking a neutral stance on his alignment, Kumaraswamy stated that he is not willing to go to anyone's house seeking alliances. He criticized both the Congress and the BJP, accusing them of betraying the state. He emphasized that he has always been vocal about issues and is not one to shy away from the truth.
Kumaraswamy questioned the Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's delay in releasing 710 crores and pointed out that the pending bills of BBMP contractors have been held back. He called on them to reveal the reasons behind these actions to the public.
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The former Chief Minister launched scathing attacks on the Congress, alleging a commission racket under the guise of "Brand Bengaluru" and expressed concerns about the appointment of a chief engineer with a questionable track record. He accused the engineer of demanding a bribe of 15% to facilitate further progress in matters.
Kumaraswamy criticized the Congress-led government for what he perceives as corruption and malpractices, vowing to fearlessly fight against them with substantial evidence and documents to support his claims.
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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.
