Will campaign for any party that can defeat BJP in UP polls: Dr Kafeel Khan
Jaipur, Dec 30: Paediatrician Kafeel Khan, who was dismissed last month over the death of children at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College and Hospital, on Thursday said he is ready to campaign for any party that can defeat the BJP in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Khan, who was here to launch his book about the 2017 hospital tragedy, also made it clear that he will not contest the elections due early next year.
His book is titled 'The Gorakhpur Hospital Tragedy: A Doctor's Memoir of a Deadly Medical Crisis'.
According to Khan, the book talks about the 2017 incident in detail and gives the version of the family members of those who died at the hospital due to oxygen shortage.
Speaking to reporters, Khan said, "I am not going to contest the (Uttar Pradesh Assembly) elections, but I will campaign for any political party that can defeat (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath and the BJP."
"I was dismissed from service despite the high court staying my second suspension. By terminating me ahead of the elections, Yogi Adityanath himself wants to create an issue. Yogi Adityanath is not good enough to be the chief minister," he said, adding that he will challenge his dismissal.
Khan claimed it is a coincidence that his book is being released ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls.
He exuded confidence that the book will have an impact on the state elections.
He claimed more than 5,000 copies of his book have been sold in the last 15 days.
He also said he is planning to set up a hospital in Rajasthan that will provide free treatment to children and that he will seek land for it from the state government.
Khan hit the headlines in 2017 after 70 children died at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur due to the shortage of oxygen.
Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders but later faced action along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital.
Khan alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children.
He was sacked by the Uttar Pradesh government last month after being found guilty in a probe into the circumstances that led to the deaths of children in the hospital.
“गोरखपुर अस्पताल त्रासदी” #TheGorakhpurHospitalTragedy किताब का विमोचन राजस्थान विश्वविद्यालय @Rajasthanuni , Ramaswami Hall ,Zoology Department ,जयपुर में 30-12-2021, Thursday 2 PM बजे हुआ @DrMaheshJoshimp @ashokgehlot51 @panmacmillan pic.twitter.com/tsKvy9WZd6
— Dr Kafeel Khan (@drkafeelkhan) December 30, 2021
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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.
