PM, Bommai, Siddaramaiah among others greet Ex-PM Deve Gowda on his 91st birthday
Bengaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar among others have greeted JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on his 91st birthday.
In a tweet, Modi said, "Greetings to our former PM Shri @H_D_Devegowda Ji on his birthday. His contribution towards our nation is noteworthy. Praying for his long and healthy life."
Bommai had made a telephone call to Gowda to greet him on his birthday, the outgoing CM's office said in a statement.
Gowda's son and former CM H D Kumaraswamy in a tweet greeting his father said, "He is my strength, motivation, beacon, the great spirit of JD(S). His contribution to the country and Kannada naadu is unforgettable. His experience is 'amrutha dhaare' for all of us. May the Lord grant him good health. May he continue to lead us all for a long time to come."
Gowda served as the 11th prime minister of India from June 1996 to April 1997. He was previously the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1994 to 1996. He presently is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka.
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who according to Congress sources is likely to be the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, has also greeted Gowda.
"Best birthday wishes to former Prime Minister and senior leader of Janata Dal Shri @H_D_Devegowda. I wish him good health & happiness. May he continue to guide us to protect the interests of Kannadigas and our land, water and language," he tweeted.
KPCC President D K Shivakumar, who according to the party is all set to be the new Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, wishing Gowda said, "The steps taken by him in state and national politics are a driving force for leaders like us. I pray that God blesses him with good health."
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.
