Kumaraswamy hits out at Congress, says it has continued East India Company's corrupt legacy
Bengaluru, Aug 04: Alleging rampant corruption in the Congress government in Karnataka, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said a Minister has demanded ''certain percentage'' from contractors in his department, while in Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officers have been told to collect Rs 250 crore to be ''delivered to Delhi''.
On his arrival in Bengaluru from Europe trip with the family, the former CM also hit out at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for claiming that a plot was being hatched in Singapore to topple the government and said the former has made such claims as he probably knows that this government will not complete its term. ''Couple of days ago, in a department, the Minister asked contractors to give a certain percentage, I got this information during my Europe trip. When the contractors association decided to have a meeting with the Minister on getting to know about the demand, 2-3 agents at the Ministers office told them they can go in if they have got money,'' Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters at the airport late Thursday night, referring to the ''entire'' state cabinet meeting the Congress leadership in Delhi recently, he asked, ''Will such people after going before Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and discussing corruption, stop corruption and bring a transparent administration?'' The anti corruption image the Congress wants to build is only for the outside world, Kumaraswamy said. ''If I have to tell you the true story of Congress, that party is for 'Vasooli' (taking bribery). East India Company (British East India Company) left us, but they handed over the administration of the country to the Congress party before leaving, the grand old party has continued East India Company's corrupt legacy.'' Within two months of coming to power the level of corruption in the Congress government was rampant, he said, adding, ''BDA officials have told me that they have been told that Rs 250 crore has to be collected to be sent to Delhi, and they will be given the list.'' When told Shivakumar is incharge of BDA, where he has alleged corruption, the former CM said, ''he has taken it (department) for that reason....to make (Bengaluru) Singapore.'' Despite being on a foreign tour he was gathering day-to-day developments in the state, Kumaraswamy said, adding the way in which ''transfer business'' took place in the police department will cause disrepute to the force.
''If you bring down police officials to this level, to what extent will they provide protection to the common people?,'' he asked, When the meeting took place between senior officials, the Home Minister and the CM regarding police transfers, a certain ''YST tax'' people were present there, he claimed, without taking any name.
Criticising the functioning of the present administration, he said now it has put those transfers on hold.
Kumaraswamy was referring to Karnataka government's decision to keep transfer of police inspectors in abeyance until further orders, a day after it transferred 211 police inspectors across the state. According to reports, the decision to put transfers on hold was taken after some party leaders and legislators expressed displeasure.
Noting that Shivakumar claimed that a plot is being hatched to topple the government after he left for a family trip, the JDS leader said, ''It shows how much our intelligence department is functioning. I had left that night with my brothers and sisters and entire family to European country for a 15-day trip, but in the morning a situation was created as though I was trying to bring down this government in Singapore'' It shows the fear the Congress has towards him and JD(S), despite it winning just 19 seats, he said. Shivakumar might have said it, as most probably he knows that this government will not complete its term.
''He (Shivakumar) follows astrology more than us. He makes different kinds of conspiracies with the help of astrology. The artificial strength he has got from it during the election -- he knows that the artificial strength will not stay for long, so might have made such statements,'' he added.
To a query regarding veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa too going on a foreign trip around the same time when he was not in the country, Kumaraswamy said he might have gone with his family and sought to know why should it be politicised. Clarifying on having ''friendly ties'' with BJP, he said, ''No, as an opposition party, when the public money is looted, it's my duty to work in the opposition, so I have raised my voice. Has BJP developed the state?'' Hitting back, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, Kumaraswamy is a known ''hit and run case always''.
Pointing to Kumaraswamy accusing the Congress government of corruption with a claim that he was ready to give a pen drive that had proof, the CM asked, ''did he prove that? There should be proof (of corruption) to release. Will he keep it in his pocket?''
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.
