No place for 'cowards' like Hedgewar in textbooks under Congress government: BK Hariprasad
Shivamogga: Congress MLC BK Hariprasad has stated that the Congress government will not approve the inclusion of life stories of individuals like Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), whom he referred to as 'cowards' and 'fake freedom fighters,' in school textbooks.
Addressing reporters in Shivamogga, Hariprasad emphasized that the ideology of the Sangh Parivar, the family of Hindu nationalist organizations including the RSS, will not be allowed to influence the functioning of any government department.
Regarding Hedgewar, Hariprasad stated that there is no evidence to suggest that he was a freedom fighter. He also expressed his refusal to accord respect to individuals who he believed pretended to be freedom fighters while seeking mercy from the British. Hariprasad pointed out the recent statement by someone claiming Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, to be a freedom fighter. He highlighted the contrasting views of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh Parivar with regards to whom they consider as freedom fighters, emphasizing the Congress' respect for those who genuinely contributed to the Independence Movement.
Hariprasad further criticized the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, noting that their own books mention six instances when their leader submitted mercy petitions to the British. He demanded an explanation from the BJP and the Sangh Parivar regarding these mercy petitions. He regarded the Hedgewar issue as an election agenda that would ultimately backfire for the BJP, leading to rejection by the voters.
The MLC expressed concern about the rise in cases of moral policing in the coastal belt and declared that the Congress is prepared to confront organizations like the Bajrang Dal. He advised the BJP to focus on the welfare of the people and strive towards building a peaceful society with religious harmony, rather than exploiting the Bajrang Dal issue for political gains.
Regarding the caste census, Hariprasad mentioned that the data collected through the census will be disclosed soon, as stated by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He clarified that it would be inappropriate to label it as an outdated survey and assured that any updates or changes required would be made accordingly.
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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.
