PM to visit Karnataka on March 25, to address mega rally at Davangere
Bengaluru, Mar 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday his seventh this year during which he will take part in various official events and address a mega public meet organised by the BJP.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule for Assembly elections, due by May, in the next few days.
Modi will inaugurate 'Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research' at Chikkaballapur, and later he will inaugurate Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Krishnarajapura Metro Line of Bangalore Metro and also undertake a ride in the train.
He will then proceed to the district headquarters town of Davangere and address a public meeting, to mark the culmination of BJP's 'Vijay Sankapla Yatre'.
According to BJP sources, this is said to be the first party meeting which the PM will be attending, since the poll preparations began in Karnataka.
A total of 10 lakh people are expected to participate in the rally, Davangere BJP MP G M Siddeshwar said and added that about three lakh people will participate from Davangere district alone.
Davangere is already dotted with saffron hues and the pandal has been erected in 400 acres of land next to GMIT College.
BJP State General Secretary Mahesh Tenginakai claimed that the four 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatres', which began from four different directions across the state, in specially designed vehicles or "Rathas", have been successful.
He said, a total of 5,600 kms were covered by the Yatre, in which millions of people attended. "We have reached 224 constituencies."
According to a party release, for the rally, a large-scale catering arrangement has been made and 400 counters will be opened. He said a thousand cooks have been assigned, and 44 places have been identified for parking.
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday bash was also held at Davangere, which is in the central part of the state, in August last year, which was attended by a large crowd.
Following that large scale event, pressure has been mounting on the BJP by its local leaders to organise an even bigger public meet in the region, ahead of Assembly polls, according to sources.
The Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), which will be inaugurated by the PM on Saturday, has been established by Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur.
Situated in a rural area and established with a vision of de-commercialising medical education and healthcare, SMSIMSR will provide medical education and quality medical care - completely free of cost - to all. The institute will start functioning from the academic year 2023, an official release said.
The 13.71 km stretch from Whitefield (Kadugodi) Metro to Krishnarajapura Metro Line of Reach-1 extension project under Bangalore Metro Phase 2, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Whitefield (Kadugodi) Metro Station.
Built at a cost of around Rs 4250 crores is expected to enhance ease of mobility and reduce traffic congestion in the city, the release said.
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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.
