CM Siddaramaiah defends inviting Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday once again defended the decision to invite International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year's Mysuru Dasara, reiterating that the festival is celebrated by everyone as 'Nada Habba' (state festival).
To a question about the BJP's 'Chamundeshwari temple chalo' rally on Chamundi hill, the CM said, "Let them do it, who said no?"
BJP leaders, including R Ashoka, have warned about launching 'Chamundeshwari Devastana (temple) chalo' rally, alleging that the Hindu religious centres are being targeted by the ruling Congress as part of a "toolkit" by claiming that the Chamundi Hill which houses the famous Chamundeshwari Temple and the Goddess there does not belong to Hindus alone.
On the controversy over inviting Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festival, Siddaramaiah said, "Mirza Ismail was the Diwan of Mysuru. The then Maharaja used to make him sit on the howdah along with him during the Dasara procession...in 2017 poet K S Nissar Ahmed had inaugurated the Dasara. Where were BJP and RSS then? "
Terming the Mushtaq's alleged comments regarding -- Kannada being worshiped as Goddess "Bhuvaneshwari" and Kannada flag having the colours of arishina (turmeric yellow) and kumkuma (vermillion red) -- as a "different issue", he said, "I don't know whether she had said such things. But, she is a writer in Kannada. Without affection or love for Kannada can she write in Kannada? She has won the International Booker Prize for her work."
Objections have been raised by BJP leaders and others to the state government's decision to invite Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festivities, following an old video that went viral, in which she has reportedly expressed reservations about worshipping the Kannada language as "Goddess Bhuvaneshwari", stating that it was exclusionary to people like her (minorities).
Several BJP leaders have asked Mushtaq to clarify her reverence towards Goddess Chamundeshwari before consenting to inaugurate the Dasara festival. However, Mushtaq, on her part, has said that her statement has been distorted by making selective parts of her old speech go viral on social media.
Dasara is traditionally inaugurated by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns, at the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills in Mysuru.
Responding to a question on a reported statement by BJP leaders that they have no objections if Mushtaq comes to inaugurate Dasara, adorning herself with turmeric, vermillion and flowers, the CM hitting out at the opposition party said, Mysuru Dasara is Nada Habba (state festival), and people of all faiths participate and celebrate it.
"She belongs to the Muslim community. Is it there in her religion to do such things? How can you ask someone from another religion to apply vermillion, become a Hindu to participate in the Nada Habba?" he asked.
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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.
