PM Modi takes out mega roadshow in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 29: Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd.
Modi, who flew into the city from Kudachi in Belagavi district in northern Karnataka around 5 pm after addressing his third public meeting in the state, rode in a specially designed vehicle.
Sporting a saffron cap, Modi was flanked by Bangalore North MP D V Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy.
A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him.
At the end of the roadshow, Modi walked on the road for a brief period waving at people and then boarded his bullet-proof car. Seeing the Prime Minister from a close proximity, people started chanting 'Modi-Modi'.
The BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed 'Dollu Kunita', a popular drum dance, enroute to the roadshow.
The 5.3-kilometre long roadshow passed through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli.
Traffic snarls were witnessed due to the roadshow. Police had issued traffic advisory to people asking them to avoid certain roads from where the Prime Minister's convoy would pass through.
Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the route that Modi roadshow's traversed in the city.
For his first election campaign in Karnataka since poll dates were announced, Modi flew in from Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed three consecutive public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district.
ALSO READ: Karnataka elections will open the door for Congress in 2024 LS polls: KPCC chief Shivakumar
The Prime Minister will stay overnight in Bengaluru and head out from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to hold back-to-back public meetings in the district headquarters town of Kolar, Channapatna in Ramanagara district and Belur in Hassan district.
He will also hold a roadshow in Mysuru on Sunday before heading back to Delhi.
The BJP is attempting to return to power in Karnataka with the ruling party pitted against its principal rival Congress.
The state goes to the polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು! ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಯ ಹಲವಾರು ಮತದಾರರು ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಆಶೀರ್ವದಿಸಲು ಬಂದಿರುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನನಗೆ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದೆ. pic.twitter.com/nfeOTeP3zm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2023
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.
