Bayern Munich and former West Germany great Gerd Muller dies
Munich, Aug 15: Gerd Muller, the Bayern Munich and former West Germany forward known as "Der Bomber" for his scoring-prowess, has died.
He was 75.
The Bavarian club announced his death on Sunday, with club president Herbert Hainer saying it was "a sad, dark day for FC Bayern and all its fans."
Muller scored 566 goals for Bayern between 1964 and 1979, helping the team to four German titles, four German Cup wins and three European Cup victories in that time.
He still holds the record for the most goals scored in the Bundesliga with 365, scored in 427 league games.
"Gerd Muller was the greatest striker there's ever been, and a fine person and character of world football," Hainer said in a statement posted on the club's website.
"We're all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family."
Bayern announced in October 2015 that Muller had Alzheimer's disease for "a long time" and that he had been cared for professionally with the support of his family since the beginning of February that year.
Muller made 607 competitive appearances for Bayern. He was the league's top-scorer on seven occasions. He was as important to Bayern's ascent to becoming Germany's powerhouse as former teammates Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoene .
Muller's record of 40 goals scored in the 1971-72 Bundesliga season was only beaten last season, when current Bayern forward Robert Lewandowski scored his 41st in the last minute of the last game.
Muller also helped West Germany win the European Championship in 1972, then the World Cup two years later, when he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands.
Altogether he scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany. It was a national record only surpassed in 2014 by Miroslav Klose, who needed 129 appearances to match him.
"He was the best German forward of all time. Without him, FC Bayern and the German team would never have been able to take this successful path," Bavarian state president Markus S der said.
"I myself was a big fan. All of Bavaria is mourning."
The chief executive of Bayern rival Borussia Dortmund also paid his respect.
"Gerd Muller was one of the biggest idols of my childhood and youth," Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
"I had the great honor to get to know him personally as a very humble and pleasant person. He was an outstanding player for whom FC Bayern and the German soccer team owe so much."
Muller became a youth coach at Bayern after his playing days, working with players such as Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller.
"His achievements are unrivaled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football," Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn added in the club statement.
"As a player and a person, Gerd Muller stands for FC Bayern and its development into one of the biggest clubs in the world like no other. Gerd will forever be in our hearts."
FC Bayern are mourning the passing of Gerd Müller.
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) August 15, 2021
The FC Bayern world is standing still today. The club and all its fans are mourning the death of Gerd Müller, who passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 75.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
