Over 10 ministers, 20 MLAs tested coronavirus positive in Maharashtra so far: Deputy CM Ajit Pawar
Pune, Jan 1: More than ten ministers and at least 20 MLAs in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus so far, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday.
Notably, Maharashtra on Friday reported 8,067 fresh coronavirus positive cases, as much as 50 per cent more than Thursday.
"We cut short the Assembly session recently. So far, over 10 ministers and over 20 MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus. Everybody wants to be part of the celebrations of New Year, birthdays and other occasions. Keep in mind that the new variant (Omicron) spreads fast and hence caution is needed. PM Narendra Modi has appealed and some states have announced a night curfew. In Maharashtra, cases are increasing in Mumbai and Pune," Pawar told reporters after visiting the Jaystambh military monument in Perne village in the Pune district on the occasion of the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.
He also said that strict restrictions might be clamped if the new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Maharashtra.
Recently, NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule had tested positive for coronavirus.
Sule (51), Lok Sabha MP from Baramati and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, said on Wednesday that her husband Sadanand Sule had also been detected with the infection.
Among state ministers, Varsha Gaikwad, Yashomati Thakur, and KC Padvi also tested positive for coronavirus recently.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Sagar Meghe are among the MLAs who also contracted this viral infection in the recent past.
Earlier, cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad, Dhananjay Munde and Dilip Walse Patil had tested positive for coronavirus.
Maharashtra has seen a sharp rise in new daily coronavirus cases in the last 12 days of 2021.
The state government, in fresh guidelines issued on Thursday night, capped the attendance at gatherings in open or closed spaces at 50.
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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.
