ECI 'failed' to cooperate with CID probe into large scale vote deletion: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charges of large-scale voter deletions, alleging that the Election Commission (EC) has failed to cooperate with the CID probe ordered by the Karnataka government.
Speaking to PTI, Shivakumar said, "What Rahul Gandhi has said is a fact. There is nothing wrong with it. He has said the truth."
Some people attempted to delete a few voters' names by giving wrong telephone numbers. "They (unknown fraudsters) wanted to delete a very large number of votes. Ultimately we found it out," Shivakumar said.
According to him, the Criminal Investigation Department of Karnataka, which has been assigned to probe the matter, is seeking information about the telephone numbers used for deleting the voters.
"The CID had requested the ECI, which is not cooperating," the Deputy CM alleged.
He cautioned that similar instances had occurred in KR Puram, adding that until the EC supports the investigation, the CID cannot proceed.
"What Rahul Gandhi has said is true. We have to take some drastic action. My CM also knows," he stated.
On the issue of Bengaluru’s poor roads and complaints from IT companies, Shivakumar said the government is committed to finding solutions rather than engaging in political blame games.
"We are there to solve the problem. I've asked the IT minister… in every part of the country this problem persists; only Bengaluru is making noise," he remarked.
He further said that a committee has been constituted with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to address the issue of potholes and road infrastructure.
"When it rains, even around Vidhana Soudha, there are 20 potholes. We are there to solve their problems. Tweeting and making big news will not solve the problem. I've fixed time and devised a plan to solve all problems relating to roads," he asserted, promising swift action.
Shivakumar’s reaction came after online trucking platform BlackBuck Co-Founder & CEO Rajesh Yabaji on Tuesday said that the company has decided to move out of its current location at Bellandur on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing commuting and road infrastructure issues.
The ORR, which is one of the IT corridors in the city, often witnesses traffic congestion.
"ORR (Bellandur) has been our "office + home" for the last 9 years. But it's now very-very hard to continue here. We have decided to move out," Yabaji said in a post on 'X'.
"Background: Average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5+ hrs (one way). Roads full of potholes & dust, coupled with lowest intent to get them rectified. Didn't see any of this changing in the next 5 years," he added.
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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.
