Punjabi Singer Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead, day after security withdrawn
Chandigarh, May 29: Famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government withdrew his security cover.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mansa) Gobinder Singh told PTI that several bullets hit Moosewala, 27, who was travelling along with his two friends in a jeep when he was attacked at village Jawahar Ke.
Mansa civil surgeon Ranjeet Rai told reporters that Moosewala was brought dead at the civil hospital. He said that the two others who also sustained bullet injuries have been referred to another hospital.
He had fought on the Congress ticket from Mansa assembly seat in the recent assembly election and was defeated by AAP's Vijay Singla.
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, known as Sidhu Moosewala, was among the 424 people whose security was withdrawn by the Punjab Police on Saturday.
Leaders of the Congress and other political parties expressed shock and anger over the killing of Moosewala and attacked the AAP government for withdrawing his security cover.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said no one involved in the gruesome murder will be spared and appealed for calm.
I am shocked and deeply saddened by the gruesome murder of Siddhu Moosewala. Nobody involved will be spared. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fans across the world. I appeal everyone to stay calm, said Mann in a tweet.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who played a major role in bringing Moosewala into the Congress fold, said he was "shocked beyond belief and expression" and demanded dismissal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
''He was showered with bullets in Mansa just 2 days after @BhagwantMann govt withdrew his security. @AAPPunjab govt has lost moral authority. It must be dismissed, said Warring in a tweet.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who had earlier questioned the state government after the names of the people whose security was withdrawn became public, too demanded action against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
"We have been warning Punjab Govt to pay attention to Punjab's situation. I demand an FIR against Bhagwant Mann for negligence of his Chief Ministerial duties which has cost the life of #sidhumoosewala. Bhagwant Mann along with @ArvindKejriwal should be booked u/s 302,'' he said.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh alleged that law and order has completely collapsed in Punjab.
''Criminals have no fear of law. AAP Punjab government has miserably failed. Nobody is safe in Punjab!
The others whose security has been removed included former MLAs, two Jathedars of Takht Damdama Sahib and Takht Kesgarh Sahib, heads of Deras and serving and retired policemen.
Moosewala had joined the Congress last year ahead of the Punjab assembly polls.
The singer had faced criticism from several quarters for promoting gun culture in his songs. He had also been booked for allegedly promoting violence through his song ''Sanju''.
He was booked under the Arms Act and the Disaster Management Act in Barnala after photographs showing him firing an AK-47 rifle at a firing range during the COVID-19 lockdown appeared on social media.
Shocking to hear about death of #sidhumoosewala in a shootout-not sharing the videos received via WhatsApp due to sensitivity but shot at many times
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) May 29, 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.
