Allegations of forcibly entering Congress HQ, beating up workers 'false': Delhi Police officer
New Delhi, Jun 15: The Delhi Police on Wednesday rejected as "totally false" the allegations that its personnel forcibly entered the Congress headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on a day the party staged protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Delhi Police said despite its suggestion to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar, Congress leaders with "utter disregard of Supreme Court guidelines" tried to create public disturbances in the area.
"The allegations are totally false and we denied them strongly," a senior police officer said. The party, however, shared purported video clips on social media showing police personnel entering its office premises.
The police officer said, "We tried to stop them and tried to close the gate of AICC (All India Congress Committee) in order to prevent a procession from being taken out.
"In this process, their might be some scrimmage, but police had not tried to enter the premises of the AICC and they had no reason to enter."
The Congress staged vociferous protests in the capital on the third day of Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
The police officer said, "They (Congress workers and leaders) were not listening to the police. We had been telling them for the past three days that no procession is allowed. We had been giving them the chance to hold their protest at the designated place at Jantar Mantar.
"Adequate force has been put in place. The senior police officers are also present at the spot. We told the senior leaders that we will facilitate them, but they were bringing other people also in the form of procession and we stopped them and told them that the procession is not allowed, the officer added.
A police statement said for the past three days, senior leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) have been repeatedly informed that any kind of procession and protest is allowed only at designated areas as per the Supreme Court guidelines.
"Despite the suggestions of the Delhi Police to have the protest at Jantar Mantar, the INC leaders with utter disregard of the Supreme Court guidelines and our suggestions have again and again tried to create public disturbances in the area.
"Today again some workers of INC had tried to take out procession from party office and were prevented by police personnel present there from assembling unauthorisedly. Some of the miscreants burnt tyres and damaged police barricades which led to traffic congestion and inconvenience to the commuters," it said.
"The police tried to prevent the situation from deteriorating while maintaining utmost restraint, the statement stated.
The Congress has demanded that an FIR for "criminal trespass" be registered, the erring police personnel be suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.
"In an act of absolute goondaism perpetuated by the Delhi Police at the instance of the Modi government, the police today forcibly entered the national headquarters of the Congress here and beat up party workers and leaders. This is patently criminal trespass. The goondaism of Delhi Police and Modi government has reached its zenith," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
He said the party's state units would stage silent protests on Wednesday evening and would gherao Raj Bhawans across the country Thursday morning against the police action.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED on Wednesday for the third consecutive day of questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.
सत्ताई गुंडों की दिल्ली पुलिस के अधिकारी आँख खोलकर देखें:-
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 15, 2022
गेट के इस पार कांग्रेस का दफ्तर है और उस पार से अंदर घुसते आपके वर्दीधारी आततायी।
हमारे घर में जबरन घुसने की ये गुंडई भारी पड़ेगी। pic.twitter.com/I5Mqqz7ZEo
ओ तानाशाह...जब गुण्डई ही करनी है, तो उतरो लोकतंत्र की कुर्सी से और आओ जनता के सामने।
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 15, 2022
कांग्रेस के जिस दफ्तर में तुमने अपने पुलिसिया गुंडे भेजे हैं, उस दफ्तर ने दुनिया के सबसे बड़े साम्राज्य को धूल चटाई है...तुम्हारे अहंकार की तो हैसियत ही क्या है?
हम अहंकार तुम्हारा तोड़ेंगे। pic.twitter.com/rQexyK3srA
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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.
