She told me not to cry if something happened to her: Rahul on Indira Gandhi's death anniversary
New Delhi, Oct 31: Recounting Indira Gandhi's assassination and funeral, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said just hours before her death she told him not to cry if something happened to her.
In a video released on YouTube on former prime minister Indira Gandhi's 37th death anniversary, Gandhi described the day of his grandmother's funeral as the "second most difficult day of my life".
Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister, was assassinated in 1984 by two of her security guards linked to Khalistani extremists.
"(In) the morning before she died she told me that don't cry if something happens to me. I did not understand what she meant and two-three hours later she was dead," Rahul Gandhi said, recounting the setback he and his family suffered that day.
"She (Indira Gandhi) sort of sensed that she would be killed and I think everyone in the house also knew it. She once said to us on the dining table that the biggest curse would be to die of a disease," the former Congress chief said in the video titled 'With love, in memory of my beloved Grandmother, Indira ji', which has been released on his YouTube account.
From her perspective it was probably the best way to die for her country, defending the idea that she loved, Gandhi said.
He said he essentially had two mothers -- "a super mother who was my grandmother, who basically would defend me when my father got angry, and my mother".
For me it was like losing my mother, Gandhi added.
Images from Indira Gandhi's funeral and last rites were also part of the video which showed a young Rahul mourning his grandmother's demise.
Earlier on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorial "Shakti Sthal" here.
"My grandmother served the country fearlessly till the last moment -- her life is a source of inspiration for us," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"A great example of women power, humble tributes to Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her martyrdom day," he said.
मेरी दादी अंतिम घड़ी तक निडरता से देश सेवा में लगी रहीं- उनका जीवन हमारे लिए प्रेरणा स्त्रोत है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 31, 2021
नारी शक्ति की बेहतरीन उदाहरण श्रीमती इंदिरा गांधी जी के बलिदान दिवस पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि। pic.twitter.com/IoElhOswji
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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.
