The Hindu: Batra tenders resignation

Following up on his threat to quit the Indian Olympic Association in protest against the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala as life presidents, FIH president Narinder Batra on Friday tendered his resignation questioning both the motive and the process of appointment.

Writing to IOA president N. Ramachandran, Batra — an associate vice-president in the IOA — claimed that the decision was not only in violation of the IOA’s own rules regarding presence of charge-sheeted or convicted people in the body but also said the entire process was not in accordance to IOA rules for AGM.

“I am disturbed about a development in the IOA AGM in Chennai on 27th December. I am told by the members present that this particular discussion, i.e. nomination of life president took place as last item in any other item and was proposed and approved in a total of one minute without any discussion…,” he wrote.

Rule V (ii) (c) of the IOA Statutes, dealing with termination of membership of officials, clearly states: “Where the charges have been framed by any Court in India, in respect of an offence which is of serious nature under the Indian Penal Code/Prevention of Corruption Act, in which the punishment of imprisonment of more than 2 years is prescribed then the Member/Office Bearer/Member of Executive Council of IOA will resign immediately and if not then they will be provisionally suspended and will not be eligible to contest in the elections and the case will then be referred to the IOA Ethics Commission for further guidance.”

Same is the case under Rules XI regarding the membership of the IOA Executive Council.

He also claimed that IOA rules mentioned appointment of life presidents under the “any other item” category during an AGM, information about which needed to be submitted in written at least seven days prior to the meeting, but was not followed in the case of Kalmadi and Chautala.

Making his opposition clear, Batra reiterated he did not support the decision and was resigning as a mark of protest.

Hockey India had already written to the IOA putting its three votes in the AGM as opposing to the decision, as also claiming the same from the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Associaton through its secretary-general Rajesh Bhandari.