IOA president PT Usha accuses AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey of issuing ‘unauthorised agenda’ for Special General Meeting

The in-fighting between the IOA members and the president has been going for some time. In September, a dozen of the members shot off a letter to senior IOC official Jerome Poivey accusing the legendary athlete of running the organisation in an “autocratic” manner.

FILE PHOTO: PT Usha and Kalyan Chaubey. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief PT Usha levelled allegations against All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey for issuing ‘unauthorised agenda’ for the body’s Special General Meeting (SGM) and ‘impersonating’ as the Acting CEO of IOA.

“This action is both illegal and in violation of the IOA Constitution,” the statement released on IOA’s X account read. “I want to make it unequivocally clear that the current and only CEO of the IOA is Mr. Raghuram lyer, who officially joined the IOA on 15 January 2024.”

On Wednesday, Chaubey issued a circular on official IOA letterhead, listing 26 agenda items for the SGM to be held here on October 25. One of the items was a vote of no confidence against Usha “in light of alleged constitutional violations and actions potentially detrimental to Indian sports”.

Chaubey, who had issued the circular “pursuant to a directive from 12 members of IOA EC”, had signed it as IOA’s joint secretary and acting CEO. Usha declared that Chaubey does not hold the acting CEO’s post.

He had earlier served as IOA’s acting CEO before Raghuram took charge of the post in January.

“In accordance with Article 8.1 of the IOA Constitution, as the President of the IOA, I have already convened the SGM, with due notice issued on 3 October, 2024. Further, I have not authorised Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, Jt Secretary IOA to convene any meeting or promulgate an agenda for the SGM on 25 October, 2024.

READ MORE | PT Usha vs Executive Council: 12 members write to IOC accusing IOA top boss for ‘autocratic’ functioning

“Additionally, it is also worth noting that for the EC members to convene a SGM through the CEO, such a decision can only be taken at an EC Meeting as required by the IOA Constitution, which has not been convened in the recent past,” the statement further read.

On October 3, Usha had convened the SGM to be held on October 25 at the IOA headquarters here. One of the main items in the agenda was to decide whether the IOA EC was duty-bound to appoint the CEO after the completion of the selection process by the Nomination Committee.

The circular issued by Chaubey on Wednesday had 26 agenda items. The last item says: “To discuss and consider a motion of no confidence against the president in light of alleged constitutional violations and actions potentially detrimental to Indian sports.” While convening the SGM, Usha had said that “this being an SGM, no other agenda items shall be taken up except as provided in the present notice”.

The in-fighting between the IOA members and the president has been going for some time. In September, a dozen of the members shot off a letter to senior IOC official Jerome Poivey accusing the legendary athlete of running the organisation in an “autocratic” manner.

“l urge all stakeholders to recognize the legality of the SGM notice issued by my office on 3 October 2024, and to disregard any illegal actions that are in direct contravention of the lOA Constitution,” the statement concluded.

(With PTI inputs)