Haryana, Punjab announce cash awards for Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra
Chandigarh, Aug 7: Cash rewards to the tune of Rs 9 crores poured in for star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who on Saturday won India's first ever track-and-field Olympic medal with a gold-medal winning feat at Tokyo Games.
After Chopra secured India's second individual gold in Olympic history with a sensational performance, chief minister of Haryana and Punjab M L Khattar and Amarinder Singh announced cash rewards of Rs 6 crores and 2 crores respectively.
The BCCI also announced that Rs one crore has been reserved for Chopra, who produced a second round throw of 87.58m in the finals to stun the athletics world and end India's 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.
Khattar also announced that Chopra will be made head of upcoming Centre for Excellence in Athletics in Panchkula.
"As per our sports policy, Neeraj Chopra will get a cash reward of Rs six crore, a Class-I job and a piece of plot of land at concessional rates, said Khattar.
Singh also recognised the stupendous achievement of Chopra and announced a special cash reward of Rs. 2 crore in an official statement.
On Saturday, Chopra, who hails from Khandra village in Panipat district, won the country's seventh medal, barely an hour after wrestler Bajrang Punia from Sonipat had won a bronze medal.
Earlier, wrestler Ravi Dahiya had also made the country and Haryana proud by winning an Olympic silver medal.
Congratulating Chopra and other medal winners, Khattar said: "Today is a golden day in the chapter of our sports history
"It is a big achievement for the country our athletes have made us proud. People of Haryana and the country are happy today at the feat of our sportspersons," Khattar said.
The Chief Minister said that a grand felicitation function will be held in Panchkula On August 13, in which the players from the state who took part in Tokyo Olympics will be honoured.
"Haryana's contribution in medal tally is significant. We have 30 players from Haryana in the country's Olympics contingent."
He spoke to the parents of Chopra and Punia on Saturday and congratulated them.
In Panchkula, Khattar said the state government is setting up a Centre for Excellence for Athletics and Chopra will be made its head.
"Panipat is his native place and Panchkula is the city where he honed his skills," he said.
Earlier, he had announced an indoor wrestling stadiums in native village of wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia in Sonipat and Jhajjar districts, respectively.
"We have made several announcements to encourage other talented players. We want to make Haryana the biggest sports hub," said Khattar.
For his bronze medal winning effort, as per the state's sports policy, Punia will get a cash reward of Rs 2.5 crore, a piece of plot at concessional rates and a state government job.
Earlier, Khattar had praised Dahiya for his effort after he became only the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics.
Dahiya will get Rs 4 crore prize money, Class-I job and a piece of land of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates as per state government's policy for winning silver at the Olympics.
The Haryana government will also honour the nine history-making women's hockey players of the state with cash reward of Rs 50 lakh each, while an equal amount would be given to each sportsperson of the state who stood at the fourth position in any event in the Olympics.
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.
'Biggest political conspiracy': teary Arvind Kejriwal after court discharge in liquor policy case
New Delhi (PTI): An emotional Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asserted that the corruption case against him was the "biggest political conspiracy" in the history of Independent India, as a court here discharged him in the politically sensational liquor policy case.
After the court verdict, Kejriwal broke down while talking to the reporters. The AAP convener was present in the court when the order was passed.
"The court has proved that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are 'Kattar Imaandar'," he said, accompanied by former deputy chief minister of Delhi Sisodia.
Kejriwal alleged that the "conspiracy" of the excise case was hatched to finish off AAP at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"I always used to say that the god is with us. Modi ji and Amit Shah ji together hatched the biggest political conspiracy of Independent India. The five biggest leaders of AAP were sent to jail for finishing off the party," the former Delhi chief minister alleged.
First time a sitting Chief Minister was "dragged out of his home and put in jail," Kejriwal said and reminded people of his and Sisodia's jailing.
The entire case was fake, asserted Kejriwal, who was arrested in the alleged liquor scam case in March 2024 by the Enforcement Directorate.
"Mud slinging was resorted to against us. There were round-the-clock TV debates, and news was flashed that Kejriwal is corrupt," he said, breaking down.
He continued in a hoarse voice, "I have only earned honesty. They registered a fake case. Today, it's proved, the court has said 'Kejriwal Kattar Imandar Hai, Manish Sisodia Kattar Imandar Hai, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kattar Imandar Hai.'"
The AAP supremo said he wanted to tell the prime minister not to toy with the country and the Constitution in his pursuit of power.
"If you want power, do good things. There are so many problems -- inflation, unemployment, broken down roads, pollution -- solve these problems to come to power," he said.
The AAP chief was greeted by his family at his residence on Feroz Shah Road. Party members and supporters danced to drum beats and distributed sweets.
Sunita Kejriwal, his wife, thanked the court and the judge for "bravery."
"Arvind Kejriwal led his entire life with honesty and for the progress of the country. But these people, in their greed for power, levelled fake charges, jailed his aides... But I had faith in God," she told PTI Videos.
Before the court vindication, the multi-crore-rupee corruption allegations led to the jailing of Kejriwal and Sisodia for an extended period of time.
After he went to prison, Kejriwal resigned from the post of Delhi chief minister, vowing to return to the post only when he was proven innocent.
Kejriwal became the first sitting Delhi chief minister to be arrested on March 21, 2024. He got bail from the Supreme Court on September 13 of the same year.
Sisodia, a former deputy chief minister, served around 17 months in jail before being released on bail.
On Friday, a Delhi court discharged both leaders in the excise policy-related corruption case, refusing to take cognisance of the CBI chargesheet.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh said that the chargesheet had several lacunae not supported by evidence, as he discharged 21 more besides the two Aam Aadmi Party leaders in the matter.
K Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and a leader from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, was also among the acquitted.
The CBI has been probing alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the erstwhile-AAP government's now-scrapped excise policy.
