PM Modi unveils national emblem on Parliament building
New Delhi(PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building here.
The inauguration of the emblem, which is made up of bronze with a total weight of 9,500 kg and is 6.5 metre in height, marks the first major milestone ahead of the new building's scheduled opening for later this year.
Authorities have maintained that Parliament's Winter session will be held there.
Officials said the emblem has been cast at the top of the central foyer of the new Parliament building, and a supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support it.
The concept sketch and process of casting of the national emblem on the roof of the new Parliament building has gone through eight different stages of preparation from clay modelling and computer graphics to bronze casting and polishing, they said.
Modi was joined by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh at the inauguration. He also attended a religious ceremony at the site.
The prime minister also interacted with workers involved in the building's construction and told them that they should feel proud of their work. They are making a very big contribution to the nation's pride, he said.
"I had a wonderful interaction with the Shramjeevis who have been involved in the making of Parliament. We are proud of their efforts and will always remember their contribution to our nation," he tweeted.
When a worker expressed joy at his visit to the site and likened it to Lord Ram's arrival at Shabri's hut, a reference to epic Ramayana, Modi said light-heartedly, "Wah, wah, this is your hut!" He then added that every poor person of the country should also feel that this is his hut. "You have said a very good thing," the prime minister said.
When he asked them if they feel that they are making a building or history, they said in a chorus, "History".
He also asked them about the difference they felt about being part of the construction of the Parliament building and working at some other projects. The group of workers said they felt proud of working at the new Parliament building.
Modi enquired about their well-being and if they have got themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
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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.
