Mumbai City FC become first Indian club to win in Champions League
Riyadh(PTI): Mumbai City FC scripted history as they fought back from a goal down to stun Iraqi giants Air Force Club 2-1 and become the first Indian club to win a game at the top-tier AFC Asian Champions League.
After conceding in the 59th minute of the group B fixture, Mumbai City, who won the Indian Super League Shield and trophy in the 2020-21 season, drew level with a penalty by Diego Mauricio in the 70th minute after he was brought down in the box.
Defender Rahul Bheke scored his team's crucial winning goal, with a header in the 75th minute following a corner on Monday night.
Mumbai had lost their opening match to Al Shabab 0-3.
After a goalless first half, substitute Hammadi Ahmad gave three-time AFC Cup champions Air Force Club the lead before Mumbai City rallied with goals from Maur cio and Bheke to seal the historic win at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
Air Force Club asserted themselves in the game from the early minutes, pinning Mumbai City deep into their own half but the Iraqi side couldn't convert their chances.
Air Force Club's Alaa Abbas was causing all sorts of problems for Mumbai City but the forward should have done better in the ninth minute when his tame effort was easily collected by goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa.
Mumbai City had their first look at goal just before the half-hour mark, Ahmed Jahouh finding space before setting up for Lallianzuala Chhangte, who blasted his long-range effort wide.
At the other end, Air Force Club missed a chance after Abbas headed a Dhurgham Ismail delivery high above the bar before the latter tried to force his shot from a tight angle.
Hakeem Shakir's side were almost caught off guard in the 31st minute when Mumbai City's Ahmed Jahouh sent an inviting cross into the danger area but Diego Maur cio couldn't keep his headed effort on target.
The best chance of the half fell to Air Force Club in the 34th minute but Hussein Jabbar struggled to guide Ismail's effort into the back of net from close range while Chhangte was forced into a fingertip save three minutes later, denying Abbas' effort.
Vikram Singh had a golden opportunity to put Mumbai City in front two minutes from the break but Jabbar was at the right place to foil his effort.
Air Force Club almost punished Mumbai City in the 52nd minute when Ismail dispossessed Jahouh at the top of the box before setting up Shareef Abdulkadhim, who with only the keeper to beat, sent his effort wide.
The goal finally came for Air Force Club seven minutes later when a swift attacking move deep in Mumbai City's half saw the Iraqi side take the lead after Ahmad cooly nestled the ball into the back of the net from inside the six-yard-box.
Mumbai City, however, were not to be denied when they were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute following Ali Kadhim's foul on Maur cio, with the Brazilian making no mistake to convert from the spot.
The equaliser proved to be a turning point in the game as Bheke doubled Mumbai City's lead, heading home a textbook corner from Jahouh to seal the game and a historic first three points.
Mumbai City will aim to build on the win when they play UAE's Al Jazira on Thursday while Air Force Club will be hoping to bounce back against Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab FC.
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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.
