No fight for CM's chair in Karnataka Congress: Siddaramaiah
Mangaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday dismissed speculation of a power struggle within the ruling Congress party, asserting that there was no fight for the CM's chair in the state.
He also said he would meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to explain the Hate Speech Bill, even as the BJP plans to urge the latter not to give his assent to the bill.
"There is no fight, you (media) create it. Where is the fight? Unnecessarily you ask such questions," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
He was responding to a question on the BJP's social media post claiming that the fight for the Chief Minister's chair in the Congress party, will once again begin after Sankranti festival.
Speculations over a possible change in chief minister in the state gained traction after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
It was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar in 2023.
Responding to a question on BJP planning to meet the Governor over the Hate Speech bill, the CM said, "The bill was passed by the legislature. The Governor has neither rejected it or sent it back, nor has given his assent to it. Let's see, whenever he calls, I will go and explain to him (Governor)."
The Lok Bhavan (the Governor House) on Friday in a statement had said that the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill was "under consideration".
The Bill proposes a jail term of one year, extendable up to seven years with a fine of Rs 50,000 for hate crime. For repeated offences the maximum imprisonment will be seven years, with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
Reacting to BJP's proposed 'padayatre' (foot march) from Ballari to Bengaluru in connection with recent clashes in Ballari that led to the death of a person, the CM said, "let them do it, who said they should not."
"We (Congress) have launched padayatre in the past for a specific reason, the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde had given a report saying that Ballari has been converted into Republic if Ballari and illegal mining is being done. When I (as Leader of Opposition) discussed in the assembly, Reddy brothers (then Minister G Janardhan Reddy and brothers) and Yediyurappa (then CM) vehemently objected, so I had led a padayatre (to Ballari)," he said.
He was referring to the Congress' 320 km padayatra in 2010 from Bengaluru to Ballari to expose illegal mining in the state, which according to many in the party, laid the foundation for the party's win in 2013 Assembly polls with a clear majority.
Questioned the BJP's move, Siddaramaiah alleged, "... the removal of the banner was an instigation. If the banner was not removed, where would have been the instigation? The banner was regarding the unveiling of Maharshi Valmiki statue, what was the need to remove it?"
Claiming that the BJP was waiting for an opportunity to politicise the issue, he said, "Particularly Janardhan Reddy, his brothers, and Sriramuluru (Reddy's close confidant and former Minister) have lost hold in Ballari, Reddy's wife lost in Ballari, so they are doing it out of jealousy."
Tension had prevailed in parts of Ballari on January 1 night after supporters of Ballari City Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and Gangavati BJP MLA G Janardhan Reddy allegedly clashed over a banner installation issue. The situation turned violent with alleged stone-pelting and firing, leaving one person, a Congress worker, dead.
The incident reportedly began after supporters of Bharath Reddy allegedly installed a banner related to the Valmiki statue unveiling in front of Janardhan Reddy’s residence in Ballari.
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.
