New Delhi, Oct 24 Suspended Boxing Federation of India (BFI) secretary general Pramod Kumar on Saturday requested the World Boxing, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Ministry to send its observers for next week’s Special General Meeting (SGM), which president Ajay Singh has described as “illegal and unconstitutional”.
The SGM, scheduled for October 28, will take up a no-confidence motion against Singh proposed by Kumar earlier this month.
Singh said due process had not been followed in convening the meeting and warned that disciplinary action would be taken against members attending it.
“According to the BFI constitution, the secretary cannot call for a Special General Meeting. Either the president calls for it or two-thirds of the members have to requisition him to call a meeting.
“So this meeting is illegal and unconstitutional because no one has written to me. If they want to move a no-confidence motion against me, they must follow the process,” Singh told PTI.
“Any member who will take part in an illegal, unconstitutional meeting, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken,” he added.
Kumar, meanwhile, said he had informed the three bodies and invited their representatives to attend the meeting.
“We have notified World Boxing, the Indian Olympic Association and the Sports Ministry and invited their observers for the meeting. All our correspondence are going to the IOA and the Ministry,” Kumar said.
Kumar said World Boxing had responded to his e-mail, stating that it could not send an observer due to time constraints but will be monitoring developments.
“The world body replied to the e-mail, stating that due to time constraints, it could not send an observer, but said it was keeping an eye on the October 28 meeting and would take a decision after that,” he said.
“We have been sending e-mails to World Boxing for the last six months. Even during the World Cup (in December last year), we briefed them about the situation. At that time also, we had a no-confidence motion against Singh.”
Singh, however, said World Boxing has told the federation that the BFI constitution must be followed.
“The world body has written to us saying that whatever meeting happens or does not happen, you need to follow the constitution of the BFI,” Singh said.
The power struggle within the BFI has also seen the two office-bearers issue suspension orders against each other.
Kumar has been under investigation since August over alleged financial irregularities and the cancellation of a national championship.
After Kumar proposed the no-confidence motion earlier this month, Singh suspended him with immediate effect pending an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities, non-cooperation with investigations and misuse of authority.
A day later, Kumar issued a counter order suspending Singh pending the outcome of the no-confidence motion.
Kumar, who was elected last year, claimed he had the two-thirds majority required to pass the no-confidence motion.
Singh, however, said the meeting would remain inconsequential regardless of its outcome, as he considered it “illegal and unconstitutional”.
“A senior vice-president will preside over the meeting,” Kumar said.
Taking a swipe at Singh, Kumar described him as being no less than “Hitler”.
“For him, everything is his own. The constitution is whatever he says it is. He is no less than a Hitler. His word is everything, his word is the constitution, his word is everything,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Dronacharya and Arjuna Award-winning coaches and former boxers, including Mohammed Ali Qamar and Manoj Kumar, have called for “accountability, unity and a comprehensive national plan for boxing” amid the ongoing BFI power struggle.
“Our purpose is neither personal nor political. We seek accountability, institutional unity and a stronger future for the young boxers who aspire to represent India internationally,” they said.
(PTI News)
