'PayCS' posters targeting Karnataka Agriculture Minister Chaluvarayaswamy appear in Mandya
Mandya (PTI): Taking a cue from the Karnataka Congress unit's campaign before assembly election, posters of 'PayCS' with a QR Code emerged in public places in the district headquarters town of Mandya targeting state Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy on Thursday over alleged corruption.
The police removed the posters and detained some persons who are said to be BJP workers.
The opposition BJP as well as the JD(S) have distanced themselves from the "poster campaign" claiming that it is a 'people's movement' and they have nothing to do with it.
According to police sources, several posters with a QR code with an image of Chaluvarayaswamy surfaced at public places on Thursday.
A copycat of the UPI app PayTM's style, which the Congress party had spoofed in its 'PayCM' campaign targeting then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai before the Assembly elections, the 'PayCS' poster similarly accuses Chaluvarayaswamy, who is the Mandya district in-charge minister, of collecting bribes.
The poster read: "PayCS, Six to eight lakh rupees accepted here. Scan this QR Code to make Chaluvaraya Swamy pay for Karnataka Congress. For any transfer deal, PAYCS KARO!"
Mandya BJP district president C P Umesh told PTI, "It's not a BJP campaign. I came to know that some youth said to be BJP workers have been detained. I am yet to get details of the arrest but we are not involved. The people of Mandya have stood up against the Minister."
A JD(S) leader said his party has no role in the campaign.
"There are many problems within the Mandya Congress unit. It could be the handiwork of such people only," he told PTI.
Recently, seven assistant directors of the agriculture department in Mandya allegedly wrote to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accusing Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy of demanding Rs six lakh to Rs eight lakh through the joint director.
The Governor forwarded it to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, asking her to take appropriate action.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chaluvarayaswamy and the Agriculture Joint Director of Mandya district called the letter sent to the Governor "fake".
Siddaramaiah later ordered a CID inquiry into the purported letter.
The chief minister called it a fake letter and blamed the BJP and their 'brother', an apparent reference to the JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, for "creating it".
Chaluvarayaswamy also called on the Governor and told him that the letter was fake.
He also requested him to enquire about such letters in future before sending them to the government.
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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.
