Priyanka Gandhi first INDIA bloc leader to condemn Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
New Delhi: In a strongly-worded statement, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) this evening, branding it as "completely wrong and unconstitutional." Kejriwal was taken into custody in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Vadra, a prominent leader of the INDIA bloc, became the first to condemn the arrest. "Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in this manner due to elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. Lowering the level of politics in this manner suits neither the Prime Minister nor his government," she expressed on X platform, mere moments after Kejriwal's detention.
She continued, asserting the importance of democratic principles in political discourse. "Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly, and of course attack their policies and working style - this is democracy. But in this way, using the power of all the institutions of the country to fulfill one's political objective and weakening them by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy," she emphasized.
Highlighting the broader context of opposition targeting by the ruling BJP ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls, Vadra lamented, "The bank accounts of the country's largest opposition party Congress have been frozen, all the political parties and their leaders are under pressure day and night from the ED, the CBI, and the IT, one Chief Minister has been put in jail, now preparations are being made to take another Chief Minister to jail. Such a shameful scene is being seen for the first time in the history of Independent India."
Kejriwal's arrest marks a historic moment as he becomes the first sitting Chief Minister to face detention in the history of Independent India. However, his party affirmed that he would continue to hold his position amidst the legal proceedings.
चुनाव के चलते दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री श्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को इस तरह टार्गेट करना एकदम गलत और असंवैधानिक है। राजनीति का स्तर इस तरह से गिराना न प्रधानमंत्री जी को शोभा देता है, न उनकी सरकार को।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 21, 2024
अपने आलोचकों से चुनावी रणभूमि में उतरकर लड़िये, उनका डटकर मुक़ाबला करिए, उनकी नीतियों…
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
