By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Thursday made it clear that it was unhappy with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appointing neutral observers for its elections in October.
IOA’s acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra in a strongly worded letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge asked if appointing neutral observers is only for India or for other member associations as well.
“I was surprised to receive yet another letter dated dated September 11, 2012 (after the one on August 31) from your office which reads like a dictate. It virtually orders IOA to do things as specified in it,” Malhotra wrote in the letter.
The IOC in its two letters dated August 16 and September 11 stated that IOA’s election process of the IOA would have to be held in strict compliance with the Olympic Charter.
The IOC and the Olympic Council Asia (OCA) will be appointing observers for the elections and it is completely unacceptable to the IOA.
Malhotra in his letter said IOA was only being singled out.
“I am also amazed to read that IOC and OCA will like to jointly nominate the observers for the elections of IOA. I will like to know whether IOC is sending observers to monitor the elections of all the NOCs or only IOA is being single out. In any case, the idea of IOC-OCA observers may not be acceptable to the IOA,” said Malhotra.
“In its 76-year long history, IOA has been holding elections regularly and these were never monitored by the IOC. IOA represents the world’s largest democracy and second most populous nation in the world. We understand our responsibilities,” he said.