IOA SGMs were in violation of constitution: CSI

New Delhi: Clean Sports India on Friday questioned the validity of the suspended IOA`s Special General Body meetings conducted in the last few months, saying that these gatherings were held without adhering to the relevant provisions in the body`s constitution.

In a letter to S Regunathan, who chaired the meetings, CSI Convener BVP Rao said the meetings did not stick to the guidelines of the IOA constitution. "We (Clean Sports India) have been following closely the way you were conducting the IOA Special General Body Meetings for the last few months with concern. As the Chairman of the IOA Special General Body Meeting, I think, you have made serious violations of IOA Constitution," he said. "Firstly, any Special General Body Meeting of IOA is called by 50 per cent of members for Specific Meeting with Specific Agenda," he added. Rao said only Malhotra was authorised to call these meetings, which was not the case. "Since Mr Malhotra did not call a meeting in his capacity as the acting President of suspended IOA, you as Requisitionist have called a meeting with specified agenda. But you do not have power or legal authority to reconvene the same meeting several times with changing agenda," he said. "I think you should have followed the procedure laid out in IOA constitution of 50 per cent members signing the requisition each meeting you held. This is a serious violation of procedure established by law for calling Special General Body meetings in any registered Society including Indian Olympic Association," he added. Rao said IOA members have still not got the minutes of the meeting on October 27 where amendments to the body`s constitution were discussed. "In fact information available with us shows that you have not approved the minutes of the last Special General Body Meeting held on 27th October 2013. But the same decisions of IOA Special General Body meeting were sent to IOC, which has replied to the outcome of the last meeting. This is a serious irregularity on a nationally important issue," Rao said. Rao alleged that many who turned up at the meeting were not even members of the IOA. "...There are allegations that during the Special General Body meeting held on the 27th October 2013, that you have not made any arrangements for checking identity of the members. As result there were several unauthorised persons who attended IOA Special General Body meeting on 27th October posing as members of some sports federations and state Olympic associations," he said. "This was your prime responsibility as Chairman of the Special General Body meeting of IOA not to allow unauthorised persons. If this allegation is true, then the outcome of the so-called Special General Body meeting is null and Void in the eyes of law. "When you were elected as Chairman of Special General Body, we thought that as a retired and respected member of premier civil service of India you would conduct this critical process in a fair and legally tenable manner in this complex situation. We are very sorry to note that you have not been able to conduct process legally and the whole process may be challenged in Courts of Law," he added.