Karnataka Home Minister instructs officials to examine request to withdraw cases, BJP reacts sharply
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has asked officials to examine the request of a Congress MLA to withdraw cases against "innocent" youths and students, who were arrested under "false cases" in connection with protests and riots in the city's D J Halli and K G Halli, Shivamogga and Hubballi among other places.
The opposition BJP has sharply reacted to this and has accused the Congress government in the state of giving "clean chit to the communal criminals of one community and playing to the tune of Jihadists and PFI terrorists".
Parameshwara has, in a July 19 note to Principal Secretary-Prisons, Civil Defence and Auxiliary Services (PCAS), Home Department, cited a request letter by Narasimharaja MLA and former Minister Tanveer Sait in this regard.
"It has been requested that innocent youths and students have been arrested under false cases in connection with protests and riots in Bengaluru's D J Halli and K G Halli, Shivamogga, Hubballi and other places, and to withdraw cases in accordance with rules, after review. It is instructed to take necessary action in this regard after review," the Home Minister's note said.
Hitting out at the government and the Home Minister, Karnataka BJP in a tweet said, "It seems that @DrParameshwara is functioning hanging a board that they (government) will give a clean chit to the communal criminals of 'one' community! Is there anything more shameful than this? This letter proves that this government is playing to the tune of Jihadists and PFI terrorists. BJP will continue to fight against all kinds of anti-Hindu policies of #JihadiSarkara ."
Noting that DJ Halli and KG Halli riots were one of the worst in which the rioters set the police station on fire, Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal tweeted, "Siddaramaiah 1.0 government had withdrawn cases against PFI goons, who were responsible for riots and murders of Hindu activists in the state. Now, Home Minister Parameshwara has directed the Home Secretary to take measures to withdraw cases against rioters."
Three people were killed and over 50 injured in the violence that erupted in D J Halli and K G Halli, allegedly due to a derogatory social media post by a relative of the then Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy in August 2020.
The MLA's house and the KG Halli police station were torched in the riots.
Some communal incidents had resulted in violent protests in Shivamogga, Hubballi and few other places in the state during the previous BJP rule.
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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.
