Only one thing happens in trying to put lion on a leash - the leash breaks, tweets Manish Tewari
New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP Manish Tewari on Wednesday put out a cryptic tweet, saying only one thing happens in trying to put a lion on a leash which is that the leash breaks.
The remark comes days after Tewari took a divergent view than the party's line on the Agnipath scheme issue. "Ever tried putting a lion on a leash. Only one thing happens the leash breaks!" Tewari tweeted.
Tewari's cryptic tweet about trying to put a lion on a leash also comes amid a controversy over the newly-unveiled cast atop the new Parliament building with the opposition accusing the government of insulting the symbol by giving it a "ferocious" look. The BJP has dismissed the criticism.
Earlier, responding to an article titled 'Manish Tewari is being called 'Subramanian Swamy of Congress', the Lok Sabha member said on Twitter, "The gentleman who 'plants' this drivel should know @Swamy39 if nothing else is a formidable opponent."
On Monday, Tewari as part of the Consultative Committee on Defence did not sign a statement by six opposition MPs, seeking withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.
The hand-written note by Shaktisinh Gohil, Rajani Patil (both Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP), Saugata Roy, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (both TMC) and A D Singh (RJD) was presented to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after he made a presentation before the members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence.
Sources had said Tewari, who has publicly lauded the Agnipath scheme and termed it as a much-needed reform in the armed forces, has taken a stand contrary to that of his party. The Congress has termed Tewari's remarks as his personal views that do not reflect the party's stand.
While the Congress has opposed the Agnipath recruitment scheme in armed forces, Tewari has said it is the need of the hour, as many other militaries of other countries have done something similar.
The sources had also said Tewari asked at the meeting whether the scheme in any manner impacts the pension bill.
He had also asked if it reduces the operational readiness of armed forces at the cutting-edge level, the sources said, adding that the Army chief responded to this by saying the operational readiness will not be compromised at any level.
Tewari has held the view that such a measure for "right-sizing" of the armed forces is much-needed reform and has been accepted globally by many countries.
Tewari has been a member of the G23 grouping of the Congress which had sought organisational overhaul and has been critical of some of the decisions of the party leadership.
He is a former union minister and is currently a Lok Sabha member representing the Anandpur Sahib constituency in Punjab.
Ever tried putting a lion on a leash. Only one thing happens the leash breaks !
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) July 13, 2022
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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.
