No evidence against Minister Priyank Kharge in contractor suicide case, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said there was no evidence against Priyank Kharge in the civil contractor suicide case.
He said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been assigned to probe the suicide case, and its report is awaited.
Speaking to reporters here Siddaramaiah said, "His (Priyank Kharge’s) name is not there. He has no role in it. There is no evidence against him. Still he is being asked to resign. Why should he resign?"
The BJP has mounted pressure on the Congress government in Karnataka and is demanding Priyank Kharge’s resignation in connection with the suicide of a civil contractor Sachin Panchal in Bidar district.
In his suicide note, Panchal alleged that Raju Kapanur pestered him for rupees one crore, a charge which the latter has denied. The BJP alleged that Kapanur is Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Kharge's close aide.
When pointed out that K S Eshwarappa resigned as minister in the BJP government after a contractor said the minister was demanding 40 per cent commission, Siddaramaiah said the suicide note then had Eshwarappa’s name.
“Is Priyank Kharge’s name mentioned in the suicide note? His name is not mentioned anywhere. The Minister has said that he is ready for any inquiry,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that based on a complaint, the matter has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), whose report is awaited.
“Once the report is submitted we will see if it says Priyank Kharge has done anything wrong. As of now, there is no evidence, there is no document and there is no mention of his name anywhere,” Siddaramaiah said.
Commenting on BJP's demand for a CBI probe, the CM sought to know whether the saffron party has no trust in the state police.
The Chief Minister said when the BJP was in power, they did not hand over a single case to the CBI. What moral rights the BJP has to ask for it now? he asked.
On MLC C T Ravi episode who is accused of using derogatory words against the Karnataka Woman and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on December 19, Siddaramaiah said that the case has also been handed over to the CID.
“There are charges that he has spoken something disparaging and demeaning. Based on the allegation, the CID has registered an FIR against C T Ravi. The forensic report has to come to ascertain whether he had uttered it or not,” he added.
On cabinet reshuffle in the New Year, he said the party high command will decide.
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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.
