KCR says no reduction of VAT on petrol, diesel in Telangana; demands Centre to withdraw cess
Hyderabad, Nov 7 (PTI): Stating that the BJP has no moral right to ask States to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday demanded the NDA government at the Centre to remove the cess on the petroleum products.
Slamming the State BJP leaders who announced agitational programmes against the TRS government for discouraging farmers not to go for paddy cultivation this Rabi season, KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said it was the Centre which is not willing to procure paddy from the State.
KCR told reporters here this evening that the ruling TRS government has not increased VAT on petroleum products and the question of reduction does not arise.
The cess on petrol and diesel should be withdrawn. We will not allow you to rest (until the NDA government does that). The entire paddy grown in Telangana should be procured by the Centre. The State BJP leaders should stop making hollow statements and they need to make the Centre agree to this and get orders accordingly, KCR said.
He said though the international crude prices are still hovering at a lower range, the Centre in the name of cess inflated the fuel prices therby burdening the common man.
According to him, the international prices never touched USD 105 per barrel after 2014, though the Centre increased the prices.
"We have not hiked VAT. We have not increased even a paisa so the question of reduction does not arise. Ever since the TRS government was formed, VAT has not been increased. Which fool will ask us to decrease (VAT)? The fool who increased it will have to reduce it," KCR said.
I am demanding the government of India to remove the total cess levied on petrol and diesel. It is possible and it is for benefit of the country. Because without any increase in crude oil prices in international market, the government has unnecessarily levied the cess on petrol and diesel, burdening the poor and middle-class people. Now, if the government is sincere towards the poor people of the country, it should withdraw the total cess...," KCR said.
We will continue to fight...and we will hold dharna for withdrawing cess on petrol and diesel, he said.
These people are lying about the international (crude) prices. They are imposing cess so that it would not come under the divisible pool. It is burdening the common people. They are evading States devolution, KCR alleged.
The Telangana BJP chief B Sanjay Kumar on Saturday announced that the party would take up agitational programmes to ensure the State government also reduces the VAT. He also demanded that the State government should buy paddy from farmers.
Delhi BJP says one thing and the silly (sic) BJP (State unit) says another thing. Which is correct?, KCR wondered.
For the past several days, the Telangana government has been requesting the farmers not to go for paddy cultivation this season as the Centre is reluctant to buy the commodity.
We will raise the issue (paddy procurement) in Parliament. We will also hold dharnas in districts. And if need arises MPs, MLAs, MLCs from Telangana, including Chief Minister, will hold dharna in Delhi, KCR said.
KCR said the Telangana Agriculture Minister requested farmers to give up paddy cultivation in view of the Centre's lackadaisical attitude to procure paddy.
KCR further said his party would also support farmers' stir in the North and would not allow the Centre to rest until those anti-farm laws (three new agri laws) are withdrawn.
Alleging that the Telangana BJP leaders are claiming they would file cases against him and send him to prison, KCR dared the leaders to touch him.
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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.
