New Delhi: 
The
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) faced more disgrace on Tuesday when it
was forced to accept international observers for "fair" polls. The IOA
buckled under the pressure when the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) slammed both the disgraced Suresh Kalmadi and the Indian body's
acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra.
The simmering war of words between the IOC and IOA intensified with the former slamming the latter for refusing to accept an observer for its upcoming elections and threatened to take action if poll date is not furnished by September 25.
The poll dates were announced by the IOA on September 24 but it was still not clear whether they would accept the 'observation'.
On September 14, IOA's acting president V K Malhotra in a strongly worded letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge had asked if appointing neutral observers is only for India or for other member associations as well.
"I was surprised to receive yet another letter dated dated September 11, 2012 (after the one on August 31) from your office which reads like a dictate. It virtually orders IOA to do things as specified in it," Malhotra wrote in the letter.
The IOC in its two letters dated August 16 and September 11 stated that IOA's election process of the IOA would have to be held in strict compliance with the Olympic Charter.
The IOC and the Olympic Council Asia (OCA) will be appointing observers for the elections and it is completely unacceptable to the IOA.
Later, Malhotra in his letter said IOA was only being singled out.
"I am also amazed to read that IOC and OCA will like to jointly nominate the observers for the elections of IOA. I will like to know whether IOC is sending observers to monitor the elections of all the NOCs or only IOA is being single out. In any case, the idea of IOC-OCA observers may not be acceptable to the IOA," said Malhotra.
In
a strongly worded letter, in response to a September 13 missive by IOA
acting president V K Malhotra in which he had termed the world body's
decision to send an observer as unacceptable, the IOC said that such a
supervision was necessary owing to the "confusion surrounding the status
of Suresh Kalmadi".
"The IOC and OCA are extremely astonished by the content of your letter and by the fact that you do not seem to understand that the internal situation of your NOC is not as smooth and normal as you want to depict it".
"Should we remind you that, despite our numerous and repeated requests, you and your NOC were unable to take any clear decision vis-a-vis situation of Mr Kalmadi with much confusion surrounding the status, powers and decisions of your NOC Ethics Commission in this affair," the letter addressed to Malhotra said.
"We urge you once again to respond transparently and openly to all the questions which we have raised in our previous communications. If we do not receive any clear and satisfactory answers within a deadline of one week maximum, we will immediately produce a report for the IOC Executive Board for appropriate action," the letter dated September 18 and signed by NOC Relations Director Pere Miro said.
"In particular, we expect (i) a clear answer to the simple question of the date of which the Elective General Assembly of the IOA is expected to take place and (ii) a clarification of the composition of the General Assembly with respect to the principle of the voting majority for the national federation affiliated to the IFs governing sports on the programme of the Olympic Games," it said.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Malhotra had also termed the government's directive to adhere to age and tenure guidelines in its upcoming elections as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" and said that it could even move the Supreme Court if its case in Delhi High Court goes against it.
"Where is the law for IOA to implement these guidelines? There is no Act of Parliament. We have filed a case in Delhi High Court against the sports ministry guidelines, saying that these are illegal and unconstitutional. The high court had issued notices and hearing is coming up on October 15," Malhotra said.
"The government had sought to portray that the high court had directed the IOA to adhere to these guidelines. It's not like that. The court had simply said that the IOA can hold elections by taking into account its rules, by-laws and government sports code.
"What the high court said is a bit contradictory and we will fight out our case till the end. But, the court had also said that it (the high court observation) can be changed also later on. Besides, International Olympic Committee can even derecognise India if the government forces these guidelines on us," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
The
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) faced more disgrace on Tuesday when it
was forced to accept international observers for "fair" polls. The IOA
buckled under the pressure when the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) slammed both the disgraced Suresh Kalmadi and the Indian body's
acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra.The simmering war of words between the IOC and IOA intensified with the former slamming the latter for refusing to accept an observer for its upcoming elections and threatened to take action if poll date is not furnished by September 25.
The poll dates were announced by the IOA on September 24 but it was still not clear whether they would accept the 'observation'.
On September 14, IOA's acting president V K Malhotra in a strongly worded letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge had asked if appointing neutral observers is only for India or for other member associations as well.
"I was surprised to receive yet another letter dated dated September 11, 2012 (after the one on August 31) from your office which reads like a dictate. It virtually orders IOA to do things as specified in it," Malhotra wrote in the letter.
The IOC in its two letters dated August 16 and September 11 stated that IOA's election process of the IOA would have to be held in strict compliance with the Olympic Charter.
The IOC and the Olympic Council Asia (OCA) will be appointing observers for the elections and it is completely unacceptable to the IOA.
Later, Malhotra in his letter said IOA was only being singled out.
"I am also amazed to read that IOC and OCA will like to jointly nominate the observers for the elections of IOA. I will like to know whether IOC is sending observers to monitor the elections of all the NOCs or only IOA is being single out. In any case, the idea of IOC-OCA observers may not be acceptable to the IOA," said Malhotra.
In
a strongly worded letter, in response to a September 13 missive by IOA
acting president V K Malhotra in which he had termed the world body's
decision to send an observer as unacceptable, the IOC said that such a
supervision was necessary owing to the "confusion surrounding the status
of Suresh Kalmadi"."The IOC and OCA are extremely astonished by the content of your letter and by the fact that you do not seem to understand that the internal situation of your NOC is not as smooth and normal as you want to depict it".
"Should we remind you that, despite our numerous and repeated requests, you and your NOC were unable to take any clear decision vis-a-vis situation of Mr Kalmadi with much confusion surrounding the status, powers and decisions of your NOC Ethics Commission in this affair," the letter addressed to Malhotra said.
"We urge you once again to respond transparently and openly to all the questions which we have raised in our previous communications. If we do not receive any clear and satisfactory answers within a deadline of one week maximum, we will immediately produce a report for the IOC Executive Board for appropriate action," the letter dated September 18 and signed by NOC Relations Director Pere Miro said.
"In particular, we expect (i) a clear answer to the simple question of the date of which the Elective General Assembly of the IOA is expected to take place and (ii) a clarification of the composition of the General Assembly with respect to the principle of the voting majority for the national federation affiliated to the IFs governing sports on the programme of the Olympic Games," it said.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Malhotra had also termed the government's directive to adhere to age and tenure guidelines in its upcoming elections as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" and said that it could even move the Supreme Court if its case in Delhi High Court goes against it.
"Where is the law for IOA to implement these guidelines? There is no Act of Parliament. We have filed a case in Delhi High Court against the sports ministry guidelines, saying that these are illegal and unconstitutional. The high court had issued notices and hearing is coming up on October 15," Malhotra said.
"The government had sought to portray that the high court had directed the IOA to adhere to these guidelines. It's not like that. The court had simply said that the IOA can hold elections by taking into account its rules, by-laws and government sports code.
"What the high court said is a bit contradictory and we will fight out our case till the end. But, the court had also said that it (the high court observation) can be changed also later on. Besides, International Olympic Committee can even derecognise India if the government forces these guidelines on us," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
