Bengaluru for Justice and Peace urges MP Priyanka Gandhi to push Congress for arms embargo on Israel
Bengaluru: Bengaluru for Justice and Peace, a local citizens’ group, has written to Congress General Secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, urging her to press the Indian National Congress (INC) to pass a resolution calling for a complete arms embargo on Israel.
In the letter, the group welcomed Priyanka Gandhi’s recent remarks condemning the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. In a post on X earlier in the day, Priyanka described the killings as a “cold blooded murder” and “yet another heinous crime committed on Palestinian soil.” She said the “immeasurable courage” of those who “dare to stand for the truth” would never be broken by “the violence and hatred of the Israeli state.”
She also said that “in a world where much of the media is enslaved to power and commerce, these brave souls reminded us of what true journalism is,” and expressed hope that the journalists would “rest in peace.” According to Al Jazeera, the journalists, including Anas al-Sharif, were killed in what it described as a targeted Israeli strike on a tent housing reporters near Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital.
In their letter, the Bengaluru group noted that while her statements were timely, stronger action was needed. They urged her to push the Congress party to pass a resolution for a total ban on the export and transit of weapons, weapon components, and dual-use items to Israel. Direct the Karnataka state government to review and suspend contracts, grants, and schemes linked to Israeli defence companies and exports.
The group criticised Karnataka Congress leaders for attending pro-Israel events and fostering collaborations with Israeli officials and companies, citing examples such as Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao attending the “Haifa Memorial Lectures” in September 2024, and meetings between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Israeli consular officials announcing joint ventures.
The Bengaluru-based group had written to the INC last year after the Karnataka Deputy CM attended and facilitated the India-Israel Business Summit at IISc Bengaluru.
On August 6, the group wrote to Members of Parliament highlighting ties between nine Bengaluru-based companies and three Israeli arms manufacturers, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The companies named were Ace Inotec Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., Alpha Design Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Alpha-Elsec Aerospace Systems, Amphenol Interconnect India Pvt. Ltd., Amphetronix Offset Interconnect Solutions Pvt. Ltd., DCX Systems Ltd., Defsys Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd., SASMOS HET Technologies Ltd., and Wave Mechanics Pvt. Ltd.
The letter accused the companies of being complicit in the genocide of Palestinians and warned that India’s legacy of solidarity with Palestine was in danger. It urged MPs to support an arms embargo on Israel and cited Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, the Genocide Convention, and other legal frameworks as grounds for action.
The cold blooded murder of five Al Jazeera journalists is yet another heinous crime committed on Palestinian soil.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 12, 2025
The immeasurable courage of those who dare to stand for the truth will never be broken by the violence and hatred of the Israeli state.
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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.
