Karnataka has shown ray of hope by defeating fascist, communal and divisive BJP: Mehbooba Mufti
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday hailed the people of Karnataka for giving a ray of hope to the entire country by defeating a "fascist, communal and divisive" BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly election.
She, however, cautioned people against the developments that happened in Delhi, saying that it was a wake-up call for everyone as it can happen anywhere in the country.
Mufti was referring to an ordinance passed by the President on Friday, May 20, giving overriding powers to the Delhi's Lieutenant Governor -- a union government nominee -- to oversee the transfer, posting and disciplinary proceedings against civil servants in Delhi.
The ordinance was brought in just a week after a Supreme Court Constitution Bench had ruled that powers over the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the national capital lay with the Delhi government and not the Central government. The apex court had made it clear that the Central government cannot take over governance of elected state governments.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, she said, "Whatever happened in Delhi is a wake-up call for everyone. Whatever happened in Jammu and Kashmir is going to happen around the whole country."
The PDP chief added, "BJP doesn't want to have any opposition. The Delhi government has been disempowered. This is going to happen to everyone."
Mufti also said she will not contest the Assembly election till Article 370 is restored in her state. However her party PDP will contest the election.
"Karnataka has given a ray of hope to the entire country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everyone in the BJP were using religion in the Karnataka elections but still people voted them out," she said in a press conference here.
According to her, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra had laid the foundation for Congress' victory in Karnataka Assembly election.
"Last five years were hit by hatred and communal politics. Divisive politics was played here also in Karnataka. Now Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar will heal the wounds," the PDP chief said.
Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir was the first state to be hit by the "divisive and communal politics" but the people of Karnataka voted BJP of of power.
Talking about her state, she said Jammu and Kashmir was given special status, which was the best example of federalism, but "the state was dismembered, disintegrated and disempowered by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian constitution".
"Today ours is the most militarised state where everyday harassing and frisking are happening in the name of security," the former chief minister pointed out.
She said she spoke about the her state to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and others during the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM.
"I want people to pay attention to what has happened in J&K. All our passports have been confiscated. If this can happen to a family where I was a CM, and my mother is wife of Late Mufti Mohammed Syed, a former CM and former union minister, it can happen to everyone," the PDP chief said.
Stating that Jammu and Kashmir has become an open-air prison, Mufti alleged that China is now interfering in the its affairs, which only Pakistan used to do earlier.
"This is what the BJP has done by abrogating Article 370," she lamented.
On a question about Congress not inviting many opposition parties' chief ministers during the swearing in ceremony of Siddaramaiah yesterday, such as BRS's K Chandrasekhar Rao, YSR Congress's Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M)'s Pinarayi Vijayan, Mehbooba Mufti said the Congress has to sacrifice more; "otherwise there are other options".
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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.
