I am a 'loyalist' who doesn't do things in 'josh' but 'hosh': Shatrughan Sinha on joining Congress
New Delhi, Apr 7: Asserting that joining the Congress was not an overnight decision, Shatrughan Sinha has said he is hopeful of a long-term association with the party as he is a "loyalist" who doesn't do things in "josh" (impulsively) but "hosh" (consciously).
Sinha also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for decisions such as demonetisation, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and asked him to come clean on the Rafale deal issue.
"Why don't you (Modi) come out and give a clarification (on Rafale). If you come forward and answer the questions raised on the Rafale deal, will your 56 inches chest become six inches," he told PTI in an interview after joining the Congress.
On being fielded by the Congress from Patna Sahib, Sinha said he has the blessings of the people who fondly call him "Bihari babu".
Asked if the "Bihari babu" will make hat-trick of wins from Patna Sahib, the actor-turned-politician said: "Hope, wish and pray."
"The moment you ask people who is Shatrughan Sinha, people will say he is from Patna, he is our Bihari babu," he said.
Asked about his impending electoral battle with senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sinha said he regards him as a family friend and has respect for him.
"He (Prasad) has four years in Rajya Sabha and some people may think he is fighting safe but even if he is fighting safe, so what. My best wishes to Ravi Shankar Prasad ji. Let the best man win. But when I say this, it is for the people of Patna to decide. Let them finalise it, he said.
On taking on the BJP's formidable election machinery, Sinha said: "I need not worry... the people's blessings and their confidence counts more to me."
Sinha, who has been critical of Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah's leadership for long, joined the Congress on Saturday.
Asked if it was a long-term association and commitment he had sealed with the Congress, Sinha said: "Haven't I stayed with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) despite ifs and buts, and hiccups and road blocks over more than 25 years. Haven't I been by their side since they had just two seats in Lok Sabha. I am a loyalist, I am a friend, I don't take things overnight and don't leave things overnight.
He said he has always held the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi family in high-esteem.
Sinha said that in his book 'Anything but Khamosh', he has stated that former prime minister Indira Gandhi was very fond of him and he always used to get affection from her.
"I have written in my book that had she been alive, I would have been in the Congress party only and not in any other party. I have always held the Nehru-Gandhi family and Congress in very high esteem," he said.
Sinha asserted that even when he was a loyal, staunch supporter of the BJP, he never uttered a word against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family.
"I see them as nation builders. That family has contributed so much to the country," he said.
On joining the Congress with a vision to serve in the long term, he said: "Hope so. I don't do things overnight. I don't do things in josh but hosh. I have been thinking over it, observing and watching BJP people's behaviour or rather ill behaviour, their performance or rather non-performance."
"I have been seeing the BJP's democratic system turn into an autocratic system. Gone our the days of collective decision.
"It is certainly not the party of Atal Bihari Vajpayee because you see what is happening to people like Advani ji and others Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie," he said.
LK Advani was among several veteran BJP leaders who were dropped from their parliamentary seats this time by the party. It seemed that the BJP decided to do so to ease out several of its old guards from electoral politics after keeping them out of government by introducing an age bar of 75 years.
"As far as I am concerned...They say either my way or the highway, I say I'd rather go the best way to the best party," the 73-year-old leader said.
He also heaped praises on Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He is a dynamic, "tried, tested and successful" leader and the face and future of India, Sinha said.
"He (Rahul) does what he says and says what he does,"he said.
Asked if his fight from Patna Sahib this time is the biggest political challenge of his career, Sinha said: "Not really. I have got full faith in my people people of Patna Sahib and the family of Bihar."
"They are also very fond of me and say I'm their Bihari babu...So this time also people's blessings are there with me," he said.
Sinha said though he would be campaigning against many of his former colleagues in the BJP, there were some he would not campaign against as with them he had a bond of "once a friend, always a friend".
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.
