‘Week Against Killing Expression’ condemning killings of Kalburgi, Gauri: Raj Bhavan chalo on Sept 5
August 24: Condemning the killings of rationalist and research scholar Dr MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh, Gauri Lankesh Balaga and Gauri Memorial Trust would take out a Raj Bhavan Chalo protest on September 5.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, freedom fighter HS Doreswamy said that rationalists were being targeted across the country and killed them to create fear among people. A big public campaign was organized against such killings. Condemning the killing of Dr MM Kalburgi, ‘Kalburgi Day’ would be observed at Dharwad on August 30. In the same way, Raj Bhavan Chalo would be held on September 5 condemning the murder of Gauri Lankesh and a convention would be conducted at Jnana Jyothi auditorium, he said.
Former minister BT Lalitha Nayak said that Gauri Lankesh, Dr MM Kalburgi, Pansare, Dabholkar and others have not done anything to divide the country. They have believed in pluralism and tried strengthen it further. With their murder, vested interests have gained upper hand against the democracy. It is shocking that the fundamentals have the list of another 60 persons and if they got permission, they are ready to kill 25 among them, she added.
After Modi became the prime minister, communalism, casteism, intolerance, atrocity in the name of cow, exploitation of depressed class, assaults and others criminal activities were on the rise. But till date, the centre has not acted tough against such acts, she alleged.
Trust secretary KL Ashok said that the day when Kalburgi was killed would be observed as Anti-Atrocity Day and hundreds of writers and thinkers including Yogesh Master, KS Bhagavan, Jignesh Mewani and others who have been facing the threat would take part in it. Because of the investigation into the Gauri murder, the truths behind all such killings were coming out now. The Sanatan Sanstha, the main accused in the killings, should be declared as a terrorist group and investigation should be conducted against the funding and supporting the organization. All its activities should be banned, he demanded.
Senior journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu, Trust president Prof VS Sridhar and others were present.
Major demands
* Sanatan Sanstha should be declared as terrorist organization.
* All activities of Sanatan Sanstha should be banned.
Let PM answer
Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer who is the next target after journalist Gauri Lankesh.
- BT Lalitha Nayak, former minister
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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.
