Churchill protests lifting Bagan ban, shots off letter to AIFF

New Delhi: Goan giants Churchill Brothers on Thursday shot off a letter to AIFF president Praful Patel, protesting the parent body`s decision to revoke Mohun Bagan`s two-year suspension from the I-League, and termed it a violation of the "process of natural justice and fair play".

The AIFF, during its executive committee meeting on January 15, had revoked its earlier decision to ban Mohun Bagan for two years for withdrawing the team in wake of crowd trouble during the December 9 Kolkata derby against East Bengal. Churchill Brothers supremo Churchill Alemao raised nine points in a three-page letter to Patel. One of the point stated, "Giving an unfair chance to reschedule the Mohun Bagan matches during the period of suspension is tantamount to discarding the suspension which has not been found to be illegal by the Executive Committee, which in fact agreed that Mohun Bagan had violated the relevant provisions of I-league regulations." Alemao has been forthright in mentioning that "Rescheduling Mohun Bagan`s matches will only provide additional advantage to Mohun Bagan, when actually they should be penalised. "The team will use the priod of inactivity as a bonus, as the rest has provided opportunity to the players to increase fitness levels.Mohun Bagan had four players in the injured list who would not be available for the subsequent matches. Now they are fully fit....." Alemao termed the decision "shocking" and questioned as to how the executive committee arrived at a conclusion. "Any punishment or waiver ought to be backed by relevant rules. While the Core Committee as well as the One-Man Inquiry Commission pointed to the relevant Rule, the Executive Committee has not ascribed any rule or provision in arriving at the shocking decision on January 15, thus violating the process of natural justice and fair play. Any order has to be `speaking order`." PTI