No one raises issue of hiking MSP for sugarcane out of fear: BJP MP Varun Gandhi
Bareilly/Pilibhit (UP)(PTI): BJP MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi claimed on Tuesday that he is the only one who raises the issue of increasing the MSP for sugarcane, while other MPs and MLAs do not have the courage to talk about it.
He said his party colleagues do not raise such issues as they fear that they will not be given poll tickets.
Interacting with villagers, the MP, who was on a two-day tour of the Baheri Assembly constituency in Bareilly (a part of the Pilibhit Lok Sabha segment), said barring him, no other MLA or MP from the ruling party has the courage to raise the issue of increasing the MSP for sugarcane.
"Those leaders fear that they will not get (poll) tickets. If the voice of the people is not raised by the public representatives, then who will raise it? It makes no difference to me if I do not get a poll ticket. My mother has won elections as an Independent candidate. I will only say the truth. Governments come and go," he said.
Varun Gandhi also said he is a "revolutionary" leader and cannot see injustice being done to people.
His mother Maneka Gandhi had won the 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha polls from Pilibhit as an Independent candidate.
The Pilibhit MP said whatever help he extends to people, it is from his own money, be it giving sports equipment to youngsters in villages or giving financial assistance to temples.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Pilibhit District Magistrate Pulkit Khare, Varun Gandhi alleged that money is being extorted from traders for the "Baansuri Mahotsav" (flute festival) being organised in the district. However, the district magistrate has not reacted so far on the issue.
Traders have alleged that the local administration has taken money from them to organise the festival.
The BJP MP said the traders met him in Delhi recently and briefed him on the issue. He shared the letter with the media on Tuesday. Varun Gandhi also made an offer to give a cheque for Rs 4.5 lakh to the traders at the event.
Addressing the traders, he said, "I am strongly against the practice of organising such events while banking on traders. Traders at this point in time are in a very bad shape. I and my mother have always considered the people of Pilibhit as our family members."
In the letter, Varun Gandhi has said putting an additional burden on traders, who have already been hit by COVID-19 and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), is like committing atrocities on them.
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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.
