Ex-CM Bommai condemns Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister's statement on cow slaughter
Bengaluru, Jun 4: Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday took strong exception to Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh's statement that if buffaloes can be slaughtered, then why not cows.
Condemning the statement, Bommai said in a series of tweets that Indians are emotionally connected with cows and worship them as a mother.
"Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh's statement is shocking. We condemn his statement. We Indians have an emotional connection with the cow and worship them as mother," Bommai said.
Wondering whom Venkatesh wanted to please, the BJP leader sought to know whether the statement was made to change his portfolio or to please the Congress high command.
"Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was the first to advocate the ban on cow slaughter. A ban on cow slaughter advocated by Venerable Mahatma Gandhi was enacted in several states in the 1960s," the BJP leader said.
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According to Bommai, the minister's statement would give rise to "large-scale smuggling of cows and mass slaughtering factories in the state".
"The law was introduced during our government to prevent illegal slaughterhouses. No new Act has been brought in Karnataka. We have enforced the existing law," the former chief minister clarified.
Asking Venkatesh to think twice before making such a statement, Bommai appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to give appropriate advice to his ministerial colleague in this regard.
Seeking a relook at the anti-cow slaughter law, Venkatesh on Saturday questioned why there was an exception for cows when buffaloes can be slaughtered.
The minister said the government will discuss and take a decision in this regard.
"We have not decided yet. The previous BJP government had brought in a bill, in that they have allowed slaughter of buffaloes and male buffaloes, but have said cow slaughter should not be done. We will discuss it and decide," Venkatesh said while speaking to reporters.
Responding to a question on the difficulty faced by farmers in managing aged cows, the minister shared his own example where he had to get an earthmover to bury his dead cow.
Along with Bommai, several BJP leaders condemned the minister's statement including Mysuru MP Pratap Simha.
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act that was brought into force by the BJP government in 2021 has imposed a blanket ban on the slaughter of cattle in the state.
The only slaughter allowed is of terminally-ill cattle and buffaloes aged above 13 years. Congress, then in opposition, had opposed this legislation.
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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.
