Special legislature session to pass resolution demanding re-implementation of MGNREGA: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that a special session of the state legislature will be called soon to pass a resolution demanding the centre for re-implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The CM said this at a meeting of Congress legislators at a hotel here, to discuss the nationwide "Save MGNREGA" mass movement organised by the AICC.
Deputy CM and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, all ministers, MLAs, and Legislative Council members were present.
The Congress has demanded that the centre scrap the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, and bring back the UPA-era MGNREGA.
Earlier in the day, the state cabinet decided not to accept the recently enacted VB-G RAM G Act, replacing the MGNREGA, and to take up a legal battle against it.
"A special session of the state legislature will be called soon to pass a resolution demanding the re-implementation of the MGNREGA," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying at the meeting by his office in a release.
The MGNREGA was a scheme to create employment in rural areas for Dalits, women and farmers, he said. One hundred days of employment opportunities were available under this scheme in a year. "But, the central government has taken up the task of taking away this very employment," he alleged.
Accusing the central government of removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi from the scheme, Siddaramaiah claimed, "By doing this, Gandhi has been killed once again. This is the lesson taught to them by the Sangh Parivar."
Terming the centre repealing the MGNREGA as an injustice to crores of Dalits, he said, "Our struggle must be intensified. Those who have taken away the employment rights of the poor must be taught a lesson. The Sangh Parivar cannot tolerate the poor becoming economically empowered."
Calling for a mass movement to re-implement the MGNREGA, the CM said, every gram panchayat member should reach out to those working under the MGNREGA scheme.
"MLAs should also work to make people aware of the issue. An environment needs to be created where our struggle develops into a mass movement," he said, adding that it is unconstitutional to cancel a programme implemented by the Congress government and take away the right to employment from the poor.
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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.
