Shivakumar slams BJP leader for moving HC over Dasara festival
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday hit out at former BJP MP Pratap Simha for moving the High Court against the state government's invitation to writer Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festival, calling it an effort to remain politically relevant.
Dasara celebration will begin in Mysuru from September 22 and culminate on 'Vijayadashami', which falls on October 2.
Mysuru district administration on Wednesday formally invited Mushtaq despite objections from some sections, including the opposition BJP.
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said, "Pratap Simha has been ignored by his own party. He needs to be relevant in politics and hence he is doing such things. The court will hear the case and take a decision."
Mushtaq, a prominent Kannada writer, is the author of 'Edeya Hanate'. Its English translation 'Heart Lamp', translated by Deepa Bhasthi, won the Booker Prize.
Simha, a former MP from Mysuru, on Saturday accused the Congress government of making a "unilateral decision" without consulting key stakeholders, including the erstwhile Mysuru royal family.
He had requested the High Court to issue directions to withdraw the invitation extended to Mushtaq, citing public outrage and the potential to disrupt communal harmony.
Criticising the BJP, Shivakumar said: "They don't have anything else to do politics. If they are so concerned about the state, let them go to Delhi and bring funds for many irrigation projects and Bengaluru development. They can also get approvals for the Mekedatu, Mahadayi and Upper Krishna projects."
Referring to the Dharmasthala issue, he alleged that the BJP was misusing the matter to cover up its own infighting.
"We brought out the truth in the Dharmasthala case. The BJP is making it a scapegoat to hide its internal feud. It is the BJP which is conspiring against Dharmasthala. The masked man is a BJP worker. If Dharmasthala has been insulted, it is by the BJP and its leaders," he said.
A controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of time.
On criticism of the government's decision to use ballot papers in local body elections, Shivakumar countered, "In a couple of days, I will place before you a law which the BJP introduced. The law introduced by the BJP itself states that either the EVMs or ballot papers can be used for elections. What is wrong in following the law?"
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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.
