Chautala backers to ask IOC to probe into Randhir`s conduct

New Delhi: A group of senior IOA officials, who are backing Abhay Singh Chautala for the president`s post, today accused Randhir Singh of bringing International Olympic Committee into "disrepute" by trying to stall the polls and said they would write to the world body to hold an inquiry into his "manoeuvrings"

These officials said that Randhir, who is contesting for the post of IOA president in the December 5 elections, has manipulated the letters sent by the IOC which had directed the IOA not to hold the polls under the government`s Sports Code. "It is shocking that Randhir, who has been IOC member for last one decade, secretary general of Olympic Council of Asia for last two decades has stooped to such a low and used unethical and undemocratic means to postpone the election process," IOA vice-president G S Mander told a press conference, flanked by other senior officials of the IOA and NSFs. "We are writing to IOC chief Jacques Rogge to institute an inquiry into his actions by the Ethics Commission. We will urge the IOC to look into the unsavoury conduct of Randhir, who being its member has tarnished its reputation and image. "IOC members have to maintain certain standards of conduct and what he has done in the run-up to the IOA elections is unbecoming of the office he is holding in the IOC and the IOA," Mander said. Besides Mander, those present at the conference include IOA vice-presidents Tarlochan Singh and Virender Nanavati, Weightlifting Federation chief B P Baishya, Table Tennis Federation secretary Dhanraj Chaudhury, Handball Federation secretary S M Bali, Taekwando Federation president Harish Kumar, Kho-Kho Federation and Uttrakhand Olympic Association president Rajeev Mehta and Delhi Olympic Association president Kuldip Vats. The officials accused Randhir of "harassing" the IOA acting president V K Malhotra by getting letters sent to him from the IOC and Sports Ministry in a desperate effort to defer the elections. "The letters sent by the IOC to the IOA have been manipulated by Randhir Singh. Otherwise, how can the two gentlemen Pere Miro (NOC Relations Director) and Husain Al-Musallam (DG OCA) signed on the same date, one in Europe and the other in Asia?" Mander asked. Tarlochan said what amazed him was that Randhir, being a member of IOC, which has been sending letters to the IOA not to implement the government`s Sports Code, had asked the Sports Ministry whether he can contest the polls under the Code. "We are completely against the Sports Code of the government as it interferes with the autonomy of sports bodies. We are following the Sports Code in the IOA elections only on the orders of Delhi High Court. "On one hand, he manipulates in getting the IOC letters which said that Sports Code should not be implemented and on the other he would ask for a clarification from the Sports Ministry whether he can contest for the president`s post under the same Code. We are also going to bring this point to the notice of the IOC Ethics Commission," he said. The Delhi High Court today refused to stay the IOA elections on a petition filed by lawyer Rahul Mehra and Baishya said that law of the land should be respected. "We are against the Sports Code but we cannot go against the law of the land. Otherwise we will face contempt of court. The Delhi High Court refused to stay the elections despite Randhir`s attempts to stall it. The position is now clear that the elections will be held under Sports Code," he said. The officials also charged Randhir of "playing dirty politics with the election of office bearers of NSFs and State Olympic Associations in order to create his own vote bank". "For Haryana Olympic Association, he deputed Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi in parallel election meetings held on June 12, 2012 and September 22, 2012 as IOA observer. "Randhir Singh fudged minutes of every IOA meetings. He will never publish the minutes correctly and tried to fabricate minutes which will be suitable for him in future. This has happened everytime the issue of amendments to IOA constitution were taken up by the General Assembly for incorporating the guidelines issued by IOC," they said. Mander later said that Randhir has no chance of being nominated from India after his term for IOC membership ends if Abhay Singh Chautala becomes the IOA president. "Randhir was nominated as IOC member by the IOA on NOC quota. He might be having a year or two in his tenure. If Chautala becomes IOA president, Randhir would not be nominated," he said. Tarlochan said that the three-fourth of the electoral college will support Chautala in the election for president`s post. "We will get three-fourth of the college. 27 out of 39 NSFs and 25 state associations have pledged support to Chautala," he said. PTI