Metroman E Sreedharan announces retirement from politics, but says available for consultation
Malappuram, Dec 16: Metroman E Sreedharan, who had unsuccessfully contested as BJP candidate in the Kerala Assembly polls held in April this year, on Thursday announced quitting from active politics.
"I was never a politician and do not wish to. I am 90 now and hence do not want to be in politics. I need not be a politician to serve people which I am doing through three trusts," the technocrat told reporters in Ponnani near here.
Sreedharan, who lost to Congress's Shafi Parambil from the Palakkad constituency in the Assembly polls, said it is not possible for him to actively participate in politics due to his advanced age.
"I will not be there in active politics," Sreedharan said, adding that though he was quitting active politics, he will be available for "consultations".
Sreedharan, who was made a special invitee to the BJP's national executive in October this year, suggested that the Kerala BJP unit has to bring changes in its programmes and he has written to the party's state leadership in this connection.
Urging the state BJP leadership to bring changes in its policies, he opined that the party can do a lot of things before the next elections.
He had joined the BJP in the run-up to Assembly polls in Kerala.
However, BJP state chief K Surendran told the media in Ernakulam that Sreedharan was never an active politician but the party will continue to seek his advice on many matters.
"Even though he (Sreedharan) had lost in the elections, the party needs his service and that's why he is in the national executive of the BJP. Whatever be the reports about his quitting, the party will seek his advice," Surendran said in response to a query.
The BJP had contested the Assembly polls projecting Sreedharan as the party's chief minister candidate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned for Sreedharan in Palakkad.
Sreedharan lost the polls by 3,859 votes.
The saffron party had suffered a huge blow in the polls, losing its lone sitting seat Namom in the state.
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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.
