Shivakumar pans Kumaraswamy for taking BJP leaders along with him to meet key pontiff
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday criticised JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy for taking along BJP leaders, who had allegedly brought down the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government, to meet a pontiff of an influential math of the community.
Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji is the head of the Adichunchanagiri Math, which is revered by the Vokkaliga community, to which both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy belong.
Shivakumar, also the state Congress President, asserted that JD(S) would lose in all the four seats that it "claims" it is contesting, including Bangalore Rural from where its patriarch H D Deve Gowda's son-in-law and eminent cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath is being fielded on a BJP ticket.
"I have no issues with them going to the math and meeting Swamiji. They have done it today, I saw it on TV... Vokkaligas and the seers of the community are not foolish. They (seer) may greet the people who come to meet them, garland them and send them back. They (seers) don't do anything on our behalf or on their behalf, I know that. ...the people of the community are watching," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he pointed out that Congress candidates had recently met the Swamiji at his suggestion, following which the JD(S) leader has now taken BJP candidates along with him.
Stating that the Swamiji should have questioned the BJP about bringing down the "Vokkaliga community CM" (Kumaraswamy in July 2019), Shivakumar said, "I'm not aware whether Swamiji has that much strength to question. Those (BJP leaders) who had gone today (to the math) were the ones who brought down the Vokkaliga CM, no one can hide the truth."
"What Deve Gowda had said about (BJP leader B S) Yediyurappa then and what Yediyurappa had said against Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda, no one can hide them. What kind of words were used, I have never spoken such words. There were even allegations of phone tapping, including Swamiji's phone...I don't want to speak about it. Swamiji may get upset," he said.
The Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government had collapsed in July 2019 after the resignation of 17 MLAs from the two parties. Kumaraswamy and Congress leaders had then accused BJP's 'Operation Lotus' for the government's collapse.
Noting that Congress has given tickets to eight Vokkaligas in this Lok Sabha polls, including two from the Reddy community, Shivakumar pointed out that he too is from the community and is serving as the state Congress president and the deputy chief minister.
"We are ready for everything, to serve the people, the society and the state. Leaving us, who are in power, our people are not foolish to think about what will happen after four years (next assembly polls)," he said.
Stating that the JD(S) would fail to open its account in the Lok Sabha elections, Shivakumar said: "This is my firm opinion...take it from me, JD(S) will not win all four seats. Deve Gowda is speaking about winning four seats, including the seat that the BJP is representing (Bangalore Rural). If he was so confident, they should have made him (Dr C N Manjunath) contest on the JD(S) symbol."
The JD(S) is contesting in Hassan, Mandya and Kolar, while as per the arrangement with its alliance partner BJP, Manjunath is contesting on the saffron party's ticket.
Asked about the JD(S) seeking votes for Kumaraswamy in Mandya stating that he may become a union minister, Shivakumar said, "Let him become central minister or go to even higher post...let good things happen to him. My wishes are there."
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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.
