BJP ally in UP threatens to quit govt if Social Justice Committee recommendations not implemented
Lucknow, Feb 10: Issuing a threat to the BJP, one of its allies in Uttar Pradesh the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party said Sunday it will part ways with the saffron party if the recommendations of the Social Justice Committee are not implemented by February 24.
"If the BJP does not agree to the demands raised by us, we will definitely part ways with them. If the saffron party does not implement the recommendations of the Social Justice Committee by February 24, then our path would be separate, and subsequently, we will contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state," Arun Rajbhar, general secretary of SBSP, told PTI.
He also said, "We can even go with the anti-BJP alliance (of SP and BSP) if the need arises. A number of rounds of talks have been held with them."
Hitting out at the BJP, Arun Rajbhar said, "It is the last warning, and after February 24, there will be no agreement with the BJP."
He said the BJP had promised that the recommendations of the Social Justice Committee would be implemented six months before Lok Sabha polls, but there has been no headway on this.
The committee, constituted in May last year, had in its recommendations to the state government, favoured division of backward castes in three categories 'pichda' (backward), 'ati picchda' (very backward) and 'sarvadhik picchda' (most backward).
Backward classes account for about 44 per cent of the electorate in the state and play a crucial role in making or marring political prospects of any party.
The recommendation of the committee to classify various OBC and Dalit sub-castes into three broad categories and provide quota within quota to them is likely to spice up the political scene ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in caste-riddled Uttar Pradesh.
In 2017 UP Assembly elections, BJP had bagged 312 out of 403 seats, while SBSP had won 4 seats. Another ally of the coalition, Apna Dal (Sonelal), had won nine seats.
On February 6, SBSP said it was "open" to going with SP-BSP alliance in the general election that must be held by May this year.
SBSP chief and senior Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said, "In case there is no headway with the BJP, the option of going along with SP-BSP alliance is open to us
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.
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
===================
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.
