Actor Sonu Sood's sister to contest from Moga in Punjab assembly polls
Chandigarh(PTI): Actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood on Sunday said his sister Malvika is joining politics, but added he has no such plans for himself. Malvika later said she will contest the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls from Moga.
Sood, who is from Moga district, said his sister has done a lot of amazing work in the past.
"We today officially want to say that Malvika will certainly come to serve Punjab," the actor said, addressing the media at his residence in the district. Asked about joining any political party, Sood said no decision has yet been taken in this regard.
"We have not yet taken a call about the party. Whenever the time comes, we will make sure that we let you know," he said. When asked whether he would enter politics, Sood said he has not thought about it.
"It is a very big decision in life. I think Malvika is strongly rooted in Moga For me (joining politics), I have not thought of it," he said.
Asked about his recent meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, Sood said both of them are good people.
On SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sood said he would meet him too, adding that Badal has vast experience in politics.
About the ongoing farmers' protest, the actor said it was necessary that the farmers get their rights, asserting that their issues should be resolved so that they can return to their fields.
"What we are eating is because of them. It is important they should be happy," he said.
He also emphasized on improving the healthcare system in the state.
"There are several dispensaries in villages in Punjab where nobody is there (for patients). Sometimes in government hospitals, doctors and medicines were not available. These things should be set right," Sood said.
To a question on income tax raids on his premises in September, he said he had faced many difficulties in the past but he continued his fight for the people.
Replying to another query, Sood said unemployment was the biggest issue in Punjab.
"The biggest problem of Punjab is unemployment, and when people do not get jobs, they take to drugs. We are already working on it," he said.
He stressed that the IT industry should be promoted in the state in a big way for generating employment opportunities. Sood also announced a dialysis service for needy patients free of charge.
Later talking to reporters, Malvika said she had been working towards addressing issues related to healthcare and education. The Punjab assembly polls are due early next year.
Sood grabbed the national spotlight for helping migrants reach their home states during the nationwide lockdown clamped last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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.
