Stung by the International Olympic Committee’s directive to bar chargesheeted persons from contesting the elections, the Indian Olympic Association has questioned the implementation of such a provision when the law in the country allows such people to contest Parliamentary elections.
“We have written to the IOC in reply to the revised draft, saying that we are bound by the law of the land. We have written that in India, chargesheeted persons can contest even Parliamentary elections,” a top IOA official said on Friday.
“If chargesheeted persons can contest Parliamentary elections, how can it be that they cannot contest the IOA elections. A person is innocent till he is convicted,” he added.
The IOC’s revised draft constitution sent to the IOA on Thursday asked the body to bar corruption-tainted people from contesting the elections and asked it to revert in case of objection or comments.
The official further stated that it may create a condition of conflict in case the court is approached in such a matter. “Let us say, we have barred such people from contesting the IOA elections and then they go to the court of law which says they can contest the elections, what will we do? Should we follow Indian law or IOC’s rules in such cases?” he asked.