K'taka Congress MLA accepts threatening to quit citing 'self-respect' at CLP meeting
says did not apologise
Kalaburagi (K'taka), July 30: Senior MLA B R Patil on Sunday admitted that he threatened to resign during the recent Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, citing "self-respect", but said he did not apologise for writing a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister highlighting his concerns.
The CLP meeting on Thursday evening was significant as it came amid reports that as many as 30 legislators have written to Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies.
The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil said, as he warned that their fight would continue, if it is not corrected.
The Aland MLA, however said he is satisfied with the Legislature party meeting held on Thursday and what transpired there.
Senior MLA B R Patil | DH File Photo
"I too have seen media and newspaper reports. I don't know who has apologised. I have not apologised, nor will I. Have we committed any crime to apologise? Or have we made a big mistake?" Patil said in response to a question that some ministers including Home Minister G Parameshwara had stated that those who wrote letters to the CM had apologised at the CLP meeting.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "There is internal democracy in our party, we have the right to request a legislature party meeting.
Accordingly, leaders have called (for the meeting). There was open and detailed discussion in the meeting and I'm satisfied, but I'm not a coward to apologise. If I had committed any mistake, I would have apologised," he added.
Several legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested. They have expressed unhappiness regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them.
According to party sources, Patil, one of the MLAs who wrote to the CM, slammed ministers at the CLP meeting for not taking MLAs into confidence.
They said Patil asserted his rights when Siddaramaiah questioned the need for the letter that was written to him.
Stating that there is no disgruntlement, Patil today told reporters that he along with some legislators wanted certain issues to be discussed for which they had requested that a legislature party meeting be called.
Asked whether he had said that he would resign at the meeting, he said, "I said one thing at one point, that if my self respect is hurt I will throw my resignation and go."
He however did not wish to elaborate as to what the context was in which he made such a statement. "It cannot be discussed openly in the media, we have discussed internally."
The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil said, adding, "I don't know whether CM has advised them (ministers) or not... If their behaviour is not right, our fight against it will be there."
Clarifying that there is no team as such in place to fight against the ministers' behaviour, Patil, in response to a question, admitted that he walked out of the CLP meeting, and was persuaded by a couple of ministers to get back. But he did not wish to go into details.
He however said that the chief minister subsequently spoke to him over the phone.
Patil, clarifying that the issue that legislators have is not related to transfer of government servants, said that the CM has explained at the CLP meeting about the burden on the exchequer due to implementation of the poll guarantees, and that there will be shortage of funds for developmental works initially this year, which will be set right in the days ahead.
"We are satisfied with what CM said," he added.
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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.
