Maha CM seeks PM's intervention over alleged desecration of Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Bengaluru
Mumbai, Dec 18: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday demanded immediate action on part of the Karnataka government in view of the alleged desecration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Bengaluru.
He demanded the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in stopping "Kannada atrocities "and the "pervert mindset".
Stating that Shivaji Maharaj is the "deity" of not only Maharashtra but of the entire country, Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena, said any disrespect and insult to the founder of the Maratha empire will not be tolerated.
A statue of the 17th Century king was allegedly desecrated in the Karnataka capital.
Following this incident, a crowd hurled stones at police and government vehicles in Belagavi around midnight, official sources said.
Maharashtra is locked in a bitter border dispute with Karnataka for the inclusion of border areas, including Belagavi, in the western state.
"PM Modi should direct the Karnataka government to take action in the matter. This incident (alleged desecration of the statue) cannot be taken lightly. For several years, Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka are facing atrocities. Now, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is desecrated," Thackeray said in a statement.
He referred to the speech delivered by PM Modi in Varanasi recently where he had mentioned Chhatrapati Shivaji.
"PM Modi had said in Varanasi that whenever India's culture was crushed, warrior kings like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj have risen. But just a few days after Modi's remarks, Shivaji Maharaj's statue is attacked in Karnataka which is ruled by BJP. Instead of taking action, the voice of the Marathi people is being suppressed. This is condemnable," the CM said.
Thackeray demanded that the prime minister intervene to stop "Kannada atrocities" on the Marathi people.
"It should be kept in mind that hurting the Marathi pride will prove costly. The Centre should give up double standards and take stern steps," he said.
Maharashtra Urban Development Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said the Karnataka government will be responsible for any reaction to the incident wherein ink was thrown at the statue (of Shivaji Maharaj).
Shinde is the coordination minister for Marathi-dominated border areas of Karnataka.
"The statement of Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai that the incident was minor was also condemnable," he said in a statement.
NCP leader and cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal said BJP had used Shivaji Maharaj only for its election campaign.
"Maharashtra will not tolerate the insult of the warrior king," said Bhujbal, who is also the coordinating minister for the Marathi-dominated border areas in Karnataka.
"The Karnataka government started holding a legislature session in Belgaum to claim its right over the city," he said, adding that "moves" of the Karnataka government against Marathi people will never succeed.
"We will win the fight on the streets and in courts (over the inclusion of Marathi-speaking areas in Maharashtra), " he said.
Congress leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, who belongs to NCP, also condemned the incident and said the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not be tolerated.
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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.
