No need to look for Shiv Ling in every mosque: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat
Nagpur, Jun 2: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the Gyanvapi dispute involves some issues of faith and the court's decision on it should be accepted by all, but also there was no need to find a `Shiv Ling' in every mosque and start a new dispute every day.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's third year officer training camp here, he said that the RSS had already made it clear that its participation in the Ayodhya agitation was an exception and it would not undertake such agitations in future.
"Now the issue of Gyanvapi mosque (in Varanasi) is going on. There is history, which we cannot change. That history is not made by us, nor by today's Hindus or Muslims. It happened at the time when Islam came to India with invaders. During the invasion, temples were destroyed to weaken the fortitude of the people wanting freedom. There are thousands of such temples," he said.
But the Sangh did not want to say anything on this issue, Bhagwat said, adding, "We had said what we had to say on November 9 that there was Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. We joined in it, though it was against our nature, due to some historical reasons, and due to the situation at that time. We completed that work and now we do not want to pursue any more agitations."
Everyone involved in the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute should sit together and find a way with mutual consent, the RSS chief added.
But as this does not happen every time and people approach courts, the "decision of the court should be accepted by all considering the justice system as sacred and supreme," Bhagwat said.
"It is true that we have special, symbolic faith in such places, but one should not raise a new issue every day. Why escalate disputes? As to Gyanvapi, we have certain faith, some traditions, but why look for a Shiv Ling in every mosque?" the RSS chief said.
He was apparently referring to claims by Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi case that a Shiv Ling (a symbol of Hindu deity Shiva) has been found in a pond on its premises.
Muslims are not outsiders even though their way of worship came from outside, he said.
"Our tradition is the same and some nationalist Muslims have fought with Hindus in many freedom struggles, and they are ideals for the Muslims of our country," Bhagwat added.
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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.
