IOA chief Batra acting in illegal manner, has to go: Sudhanshu Mittal

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vice President Sudhanshu Mittal believes that by staying an order passed against him by President Narendra Batra, the Delhi High Court has reflected upon the "arbitrary manner" in which the IOA chief has been functioning within the organisation.

Speaking to , Mittal said that Batra has been holding the IOA President's post illegally and he would soon be forced to step down from the post.

"I am so happy with the High Court verdict. His (Batra) madness has been stopped. It is a major reflection on Batra's way of functioning where he has been acting illegally," Mittal said.

"I think it's a major victory and will put a major check on the arbitrary way in which he has been functioning. More such petitions will be filed against him in the near future. He has to go," he added.

Mittal has claimed that there had been "gross violations" in the process which led to Batra being elected IOA President in December 2017. He also claimed that Batra was not eligible to contest the vote for the IOA President or the election for the top job at the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

However, the FIH Integrity Unit has given a clean chit to Batra and said that they will not be taking any action against him.

Reacting to this, Mittal alleged that it was a mischief done on part of FIH CEO Thierry Weil, who forwarded the complaint to the FIH Integrity Unit instead of the Disciplinary Commission.

"FIH has done a mischief. The complaint which I had written should have gone to the Disciplinary Commission, which is independent. Instead, the FIH CEO sent the complaint to Integrity Unit," said Mittal.

"The CEO has been appointed by Batra. So, the CEO deliberately sent the complaint to the Integrity Unit Commissioner."

Batra, on his part, has denied any wrongdoing. He has written to both FIH CEO and IOC President Thomas Bach, refuting the allegations made by Mittal and said that the IOA Vice President was trying to malign his image and wants to be IOA chief in 2021.

"FIH is a minor issue. My main issue is that the election of Batra as FIH chief has been a fraud on part of the IOA as well as IOC constitution, " Mittal said.

"He is on a losing wicket. In order to deflect the issue, he insinuated that I want to become the IOA President next year, so I am doing this.

"But I have placed in on record in my letter to the IOC chief that I am not an aspirant for the presidentship of 2021," he added.

Mittal has also called on the IOC Ethics Commission to ban Batra from "Hockey and the Olympic Movement".

"His election was illegal and as president he has been acting illegally and in a manner as if it is his personal company. He has refused to follow the rules and regulations which are in place. He has violated the IOA constitution and that's why I petitioned before the IOC so that he needs to be contained and removed from his post."

The IOA VP said that now he will write to the FIH CEO, saying that she has wrongly sent the complaint to the integrity unit. "My complaint has to be referred to the Disciplinary Commission. And if she does not then I will write to the commission to adjugate on the matter. As this is the FIH rule," he signed off.

( With inputs from IANS )