KN Rajanna expresses confidence about returning as minister in current govt tenure
Tumakuru (Karnataka), Aug 15 (PTI): K N Rajanna, who was recently sacked from the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet in Karnataka, on Friday expressed confidence about coming back as minister within the current government's tenure.
The Madhugiri MLA said he will be going to New Delhi after the Assembly session to meet the high command leaders to know the exact reasons for his sacking.
Rajanna, who was Cooperative Minister was removed from the cabinet on Monday, following directions from the Congress high command.
His recent comments on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" allegations during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls seem to have proved costly for him.
Noting that the voter lists for the polls in Karnataka were prepared under the Congress government, he had questioned his own party as to why they didn't stop the irregularities then.
"I will take the minister post when the time comes in this government's tenure. Why do you have any doubts?" Rajanna asked while responding to a question.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "I have achieved everything I desired in life so far. I will achieve this (minister post) too in this term itself."
Responding to a question, Rajanna said he is confident that the high command will get convinced.
"There may be some people in Delhi who are doing things systematically (against me). It is not that I don't know how to systematically finish off someone (politically). I too know that skill, but why waste time on it? Same time can be utilised for the good for the people," he said.
Asked whether unseen hands were behind his sacking, without naming anyone, he said, "Without unseen hands, how will the decision come all of a sudden? The chief minister himself wasn't aware that the high command was thinking on these lines. While on the way from his home to Vidhana Soudha, the CM was seen speaking to someone over the phone alone for some time. Some channels showed the videos. It was the same matter (sacking). The CM got to know only then."
"Siddaramaiah had tried to convince the high command, but when they said a decision had been made, the CM told me the situation. I said fine....," he added.
Rajanna said he is still not aware of the exact reason for his sacking.
"After the Assembly session is over, I will go to Delhi and meet the leaders there and try to find out the reason. I'm not sad about losing power...such ups and downs in politics are not new to me. Until there is public support, I will face it," he added.
Asked whether his open statements proved costly for him, Rajanna said, "In which statement have I spoken ill about someone. I might have spoken certain truth. I will go to Delhi and try to know what the reason is. Will see what they say."
Someone might have complained to high command distorting my various statements. "Such things will be there. Will try to know...," he said.
Asked about BJP leaders like B Sriramulu inviting him to their party, Rajanna said they might have spoken out of good will towards me.
"Just because they have invited me, can I go? Why should I go? Congress has given everything to me. There will be phases in politics..."
Rajanna is the second minister to be out of Siddaramaiah's Cabinet after the Congress came to power in 2023.
Last year, Bellary MLA B Nagendra had to resign following allegations against him in connection with embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation.
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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.
