Narinder Batra says as president he can form committees, subject to EC or GB approval

The disagreement between Indian Olympic Association’s prime two officers continued with president Narinder Batra claiming that the physique’s structure provides him the authority to type a committee or fee, topic to approval by the Executive Council or the General Body.

On Tuesday, IOA secretary common Rajeev Mehta had described Batra’s May 19 determination to dissolve the Ethics Commission, fashioned in 2017, as “illegal”.

Mehta had mentioned that the time period of the Commission beneath the Ethics Rule, which was accepted on the General Body assembly in 2018 and signed by Batra, was 4 years and the president can’t dissolve it two years prior.

But, Batra mentioned beneath the IOA structure, he has the authority to nominate or take away members of a fee.

“I do not find any mention in Rule 18.3 of involvement of Secretary General and/or the President is bound to take advice from Secretary General to form any Committee/Commission,” Batra mentioned.

“The AGM or the General House has to work within the boundaries drawn by the constitution and is bound by the Constitution and if any time the AGM or EC violates the Constitution then the Constitution shall definitely prevail,” he added.

Batra mentioned all his choices to type the committees and commissions had been taken as per Rule 18.three of IOA structure, and therefore, are legitimate and throughout the energy and authority of the president.

“It is well established that the authority which has the authority to appoint also had the authority to remove. In the present case the IOA EB on recommendation of IOA President on 27th March, 2019 approved for the tenure of the Ethics Commission only up to end of 2019.

“Hence, from 1st January, 2020 it is understood that all the 8 members plus the Chair are deemed as have automatically vacated their position held in IOA Ethics Commission and the letter sent by President IOA in May 2020 is only a formality.”Batra mentioned “now it is up to the EC of IOA to accept/reject by majority vote the names of Chair & Members of the various committees/commission formed President IOA”.

In his letter to the members of the Ethics Commission, Mehta had mentioned: “Once President Batraji signed on the term of current members as four years in the Ethics Rules of 2018, then by no stretch of interpretation can the term of members of Ethics Commission come to an end on May 19, 2020.”Mehta had additionally claimed that the Annual General Meeting of the IOA held in December 2017 had authorised Batra and himself to nominate/nominate chairman/convenor/ members of the fee and committees and that he has not given any consent to new appointments or removing.

On this, Batra mentioned: “Mr N Ramachandran was the President and the Chair of the meeting of the 14.12.2017 and You (Mr Rajeev Mehta) were the Secretary General. I got elected as President in that AGM as President and technically I take over from the next day i.e 15.12.2017. So in real time, I was not the President for this meeting on 14.12.2017.”Ramachandran was Batra’s predecessor.

Batra is at present the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and can be a member of the International Olympic Committee.