The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has directed the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to appoint a new Returning Officer and initiate fresh process to conduct its elections to its Governing Body in a fair, objective and transparent manner by adhering to the provisions of the National Sports Development Code of India 2011.
In an order issued on Wednesday, MYAS Joint Secretary Siddhartisha Singh Longjam said there were reasonable grounds for a relook at the conduct of the elections, slated to be held on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh State Rifle Association President Shyam Singh Yadav had petitioned MYAS expressing apprehensions and doubts about fairness and impartiality of the elections.
One of Mr. Shyam Singh Yadav’s major objections concerned the appoint of Mr, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (Retd.) as the Returning Officer. He charged the NRAI President Raninder Singh with having close personal and professional relations with the Returning Officer. Mr. Gill was appointed Punjab’s Chief Vigilance Commissioner after being recommended for the post by a three-member committee headed by a close relative of the NRAI President.
The Uttar Pradesh Rifle Association President asked for one of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Shooting Sports Association representatives Pawan Kumar Singh to be barred from contesting the elections under the NRAI’s own Constitution. Mr. Yadav said Mr. Pawan Kumar Singh had a conflict of interest as his wife is a dealer of arms and ammunition.
It must be stated that the MYAS directive comes in the wake of the Delhi High Court order on September 10. Hearing a Writ Petition by Mr. Shyam Singh Yadav, the Court directed MYAS to make a decision on his petitions of August 12 and 14 filed before the Ministry and the NRAI’s reply submitted on September 4.
The last may not have been heard on the matter. It is likely that NRAI will go ahead with the elections, citing the Delhi High Court decision not to stay the election process when it heard the petition on September 10. It is also likely that armed with the MYAS directive, Mr. Shyam Singh Yadav will knock on the Court’s doors again to have the Returning Officer changed.
Admittedly, it has not been the best of times for the NRAI brass. During a dismal Olympic Games campaign in Tokyo, its President ill-advisedly sought to divert attention by taking aim at out of favour pistol coach Jaspal Rana. The NRAI chief spoke of a review of the team and coaches but later said this process would start only after the elections.
Curiously, despite branding Jaspal Rana a negative influence on the shooting contingent, NRAI appointed him as Chief Coach to accompany the Indian team for the ISSF World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, from August 27. The NRAI President justified that by saying that only the new Governing Body would review the coach.
More recently, NRAI set itself up for some flak by asking 25 shooters to pay Rs 4.5 lakh each towards competing in the World Junior Championships. The Sports Authority of India stepped in to defuse the situation by agreeing to bear the cost for the 25 shooters in addition to the 60 who had been approved initially.
