The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on December 7 the objections and issues related to the draft constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
The draft constitution was adopted during a special meeting of the IOA’s general body here. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli, however, rejected the urgent hearing in an interim petition. They alleged some unauthorized changes in the draft constitution of the sports body. The bench said, “Your objections will be heard on December 7. You tell about it the same day.”
The IOA on Thursday accepted its draft constitution, prepared under the supervision of the Supreme Court and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). But several members said they were forced to do so after the apex court made it mandatory.
IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta later told the IOC that some of the accepted provisions in the draft constitution were significantly different from what they agreed on at a joint meeting in Switzerland in September. In September, the IOC had given a final warning to the IOA to hold elections by December or face suspension.
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During a special meeting of the General Assembly of the IOA here, some members objected to at least half a dozen amendments to the draft Constitution. Said, “The democratic rights of the General Assembly were completely taken away.” The IOA was left with no option but to amend its constitution following the directions of the Supreme Court along with the threat of suspension from the IOC.
Retired top court judge L Nageswara Rao has drafted the constitution and IOC has already approved that. The Supreme Court has allowed the IOA to hold elections on December 10.
