FIFA to investigate alleged discrimination by Israel raised by Palestine Football Association
Zurich: FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) announced on Thursday that its disciplinary committee will review the allegations of discrimination that have been raised by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) against Israel Football Association (IFA).
The PFA wanted FIFA to adopt “appropriate sanctions” against Israel’s national side and club teams, including an international ban.
"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into the alleged offence of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association," FIFA said in a statement.
The world soccer's governing body added that the participation in Israeli football competitions of Israeli teams allegedly based in Palestinian territories will also be subject to an investigation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the council had implemented “due diligence on the very sensitive matter” and followed the advice of independent experts. “The ongoing violence in the region confirms that, above all considerations, and as stated at the 74th FIFA Congress, we need peace. As we remain extremely shocked by what is happening, and our thoughts are with those who are suffering, we urge all parties to restore peace to the region with immediate effect,” he added.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli attacks across Gaza since last October have resulted in over 41,700 deaths and has wounded over 96,000 people. The war has also heavily impacted football, the most popular sport in Palestine. As of August, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reported, as cited by Al Jazeera, that at least 410 athletes, sports officials, or coaches had been killed in the war, including 297 footballers—84 of whom were children.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
