In a far-reaching move on Tuesday, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Executive Committee, by a majority decision, suspended the newly-elected secretary Vinod Tihara for “anti-association activities.”
The secretary had declared an open defiance against the working of the DDCA president Rajat Sharma, who took a serious view of the situation and initiated action which found support from most quarters.
At the Emergency Meeting held at Taj Mansingh, the DDCA EC decided to “suspend” the secretary who refused to change his stance. According to a member of the EC, the secretary was offered a chance to withdraw his “mails of dissent” against the president but he proved unrelenting. The secretary, insisted a member, had to be punished for “bringing the DDCA to disrepute.”
In a tweet welcoming the decision, former India all-rounder Madan Lal, who had stood unsuccessfully for the post of president, said, “The decision taken by DDCA president Rajat Sharma is a welcome one in the interest of Delhi cricket. Important to take steps which only benefit DDCA.”
Action ‘necessary’
DDCA joint-secretary Rajan Manchanda, who has been given the charge of acting secretary, said the action was necessary. “We have been voted to run the cricket affairs by an overwhelming margin by the members and we don't want to lose their faith. This action was necessary for the betterment of cricket in the capital and also to arrest the deteriorating image of the association. We are committed to improve the image of the DDCA and we took this decision with a heavy heart. The message to cricketers of Delhi is to have faith in the new body. We guarantee fair selection,” Manchanda said.
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The minutes of the meeting will be send to Ombudsman Justice (Retd) Badar Durrez Ahmed. “Everything has been done according to the reforms set by the Lodha Committee,” said Manchanda. Those who voted in favour of the decision, initiated by Nitin Gupta (director) and O. P. Sharma (treasurer), were Rajat Sharma, Rakesh Bansal (vice-president), Rajan Manchanda, Renu Khanna, Apoorv Jain, Sudhir Aggarwal (director), and government nominees R. P. Singh, Rajan Tiwari and Gautam Gambhir. One EC member, Alok Mittal, was absent.
The secretary, who had accused Sharma of working in an “autocratic” manner, was present at the meeting along with directors Sanjay Bhardwaj and Shiv Nandan Sharma. The meeting could not be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla, headquarters of the DDCA, due to the premises being shut on account of security for the Independence Day.
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