Punjab minister slams MP Simranjit Singh Mann for calling Bhagat Singh 'terrorist'
Chandigarh, Jul 15: Punjab minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Friday said Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann should tender an unconditional apology for calling legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh a "terrorist".
The minister for higher education and languages announced that the state government will bestow martyr status on Bhagat Singh for the supreme sacrifice he made for the sake of country's freedom.
During his interaction with reporters in Karnal on Thursday, Simranjit Singh Mann was asked why he has in the past referred to Bhagat Singh as a "terrorist" when he was a legendary martyr.
"Try to understand, Sardar Bhagat Singh had killed a young English officer, he had killed an Amritdhari Sikh constable, Channan Singh. He had hurled a bomb into the National Assembly at that time. Now, you tell me whether Bhagat Singh was a terrorist or not..," Mann had said in Karnal.
"A newly elected MP has disrespected the sacrifices of legendary martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who laid down his life for the independence of the country," said Hayer here.
Hayer said not only Punjab but the whole nation is proud of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev for sacrificing their lives at a very young age for the country.
"Indians are able to breathe in a free nation because these men sacrificed their present for our future. But Simranjit Mann regrettably does not respect a national hero," said Hayer.
He said Bhagat Singh is their idol "and I want to make it clear with full responsibility that the Punjab government will bestow martyr status to Bhagat Singh".
The Cabinet minister said the Aam Aadmi Party is a democratic party and if required it would initiate legal action against Simranjit Mann "for disrespecting martyr Bhagat Singh and hurting the sentiments of countless Punjabis who hold him in high regard".
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also slammed Simranjit Singh Mann.
"Every Sikh, every Punjabi & every Indian is proud of Shaheed-e-Azam S Bhagat Singh. Every Sikh treats him as a symbol of our quom's unprecedented contribution to the freedom struggle. @SimranjitSADA is trying to undermine this pride & lower the image of Sikhs all over the world,"Badal said in a tweet.
Every Sikh, every Punjabi & every Indian is proud of Shaheed-e-Azam S. Bhagat Singh. Every Sikh treats him as a symbol of our quom’s unprecedented contribution to the freedom struggle. @SimranjitSADA is trying to undermine this pride & lower the image of Sikhs all over the world. pic.twitter.com/G6MaUhLaex
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) July 15, 2022
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.
