New Delhi: The fierce wrangling in the IOA took a new turn on Monday with its senior functionary R K Anand claiming that the Ethics Commission`s `suspension` of Suresh Kalmadi was known to the apex body`s top brass but was deliberately kept under wraps, a claim which was rejected by the rival faction.
Anand said that acting president V K Malhotra was in the know of the showcause issued by now disbanded Ethics Commission to Kalmadi and threatened to apprise the IOC of the matter.
"I read today news about remarks of certain IOA office bearers regarding mentioning of orders of ethics commission as fabricated. The orders passed by Ethics Commission were to your knowledge. It is at your instance the dispatch was delayed as you wanted the meeting of IOA general assembly to be over," Anand said in a letter to Malhotra.
"I would like to inform the IOC about these developments as the rules were suggested by them ... Let the IOC take such decision as advised by their Ethics Commission and the audacity of certain office bearers to pass comments on senior judges of Supreme Court (who are members of IOA Ethics Commission)," he said.
Anand`s claim was refuted by senior IOA Vice President Tarlochan Singh, saying that it was only a ploy to create more confusion and chaos on the issue.
"If at all such a notice was issued on that day, it was the duty of the Commission or the Secretary General to place it before the Executive Board and General Body. It was not placed nor mentioned by anyone in the House," said Tarlochan.
"When the Commission was abolished on December 15, nobody mentioned about this notice. The fact that the matter is being raised now proves that there is something fishy," he said.
Tarlochan said Secretary General Randhir Singh did not raise the issue at the General Body Meeting.
"The matter will now be discussed at the Executive Board which is the best forum. The rules of the Commission are being framed even now. So the earlier Ethics Commission did not have any rule approved by the General Body," Tarlochan said.
"Since the matter will come up for discussion in the Executive Board there is no point in indulging in a war of words in the media," he said.
Anand in his letter said that the retired judges in the Ethics Commission were upset by the remarks made by the four office bearers who has termed the showcausing of Kalmadi as "fabricated and illegal".
"As you are already aware of the passing of orders of Ethics Commission much before last AGM of IOA. It does not look good as to pass comments on certain orders. I have got calls from number of judges. They are very much concerned about uncharitable remarks," said Anand in the letter.
"They would prefer to walk out of your arbitration and ethics commission than to have such comments. You all were working for getting letter of resignation from Mr Kalmadi," said Anand, who is also the president of Jharkhand Olympic Association.
The bitter turf war in the IOA took a dramatic turn on Sunday with the release of a showcause notice to Kalmadi by the body`s disbanded Ethics Commission and four office bearers later countering it as "fabricated and illegal".
The four office bearers asked Malhotra to institute an inquiry into how the "illegal and unauthorised report" was leaked in the media.
Kalmadi, who was the IOA President before landing up in jail on corruption charges in the conduct of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was released last week after spending nine months behind bars.
The under-siege administrator`s position in the IOA is not clear. He has decided to step aside for the time being but has not officially resigned and Malhotra is the acting President for almost a year now.
PTI
