Sports Minister Vijay Goel hits out at IOA chief over Suresh Kalmadi, Abhay Chautala appointments

Hitting out at Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N Ramachandran for honouring the scam-tainted duo Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala as Life presidents at its AGM on Tuesday, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel said on Thursday that the IOA chief was equally responsible for taking up the item, which was not on the agenda for the meeting. “I feel that IOA president Ramachandran is equally guilty. He brought this item (into the meeting) despite it not being on the agenda and passed it,” Goel told reporters, after inaugurating the 10th national vanvasi archery competition at the RCF ground in Chembur. [caption id=“attachment_3178298” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of sports minister Vijay Goel. PTI[/caption] “Indian Olympic Association’s job is to work with basic principles of ethics and good governance, but they have made two persons – Kalmadi and Chautala – who are charge-sheeted Life Presidents,” said the minister. Goel informed that the Sports Ministry has now issued a showcause notice to the IOA and given it time till Friday to respond. “Our ministry issued a showcause notice to them on Wednesday and asked the IOA to file their reply by 30 December. Why should the support to IOA, which the government is providing, not be stopped? If you are violating the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) charter, its (IOA’s) own constitution and the National Sports Code to make these appointments, then government will have to think,” Goel said. “The IOA and other National Sports Federations come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court because they perform state-like subjects. The appointments made by IOA are wrong. We have told them (Chautala and Kalmadi) to give their resignations or they will be immediately removed. As sports minister, it is my responsibility to stop wrong things from happening in IOA,” Goel further said. Kalmadi has already decided not to accept the honour bestowed upon him by the IOA.