The BCCI on Friday postponed its November 20 Annual General Meeting (AGM) — where its new chief was to be elected — by another four weeks.
The decision comes in the wake of the Supreme Court deciding to make public names of four individuals who are under the scanner of the Mudgal Committee probing allegations of spot fixing and betting in the 2013 edition of the IPl.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier postponed its AGM and annual elections after the Supreme Court on September 1 ignored pleas to reinstate sidelined board chief N. Srinivasan in his post.
The postponement of the AGM — originally slated for September 30 — to November 20 was deemed by petitioner Cricket Association of Bihar as a violation of the BCCI constitution and “a step aimed at largely helping Srinivasan to get re-elected for a third term in office”.
Manohar slams BCCI
Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar questioned Board’s decision to postpone the AGM saying it was against the constitution of the cricket body.
The counsel of the BCCI on Friday told the Supreme Court that the AGM has been postponed soon after it was disclosed that N Srinivasan was one of the individuals probed by the Mudgal Committee in the spot-fixing scandal.
Manohar said that the Board has no authority to postpone the AGM after a decision was taken by the Working Committee.
“During the hearing before the Supreme Court today, the names of N Srinivasan, Sundaraman, Meiyappan and Raj Kundra are disclosed. This means that the said persons are prima facie indicted in the report,” Manohar said in a press release.
“It appears that during the hearing, as soon as the names of Srinivasan and Meiyappan were disclosed, the Counsel for the Board made a request for the postponement of the AGM and elections scheduled to be held on 20th November. Once the date of the AGM was fixed by the Working Committee, the same could not and cannot be altered by any Office Bearer of the Board as they do not have authority to do so,” he said.
Manohar said that under the BCCI constitution, the decisions taken by the Working Committee or the General Body are final. “It is thus evident that the instructions given to the Board counsel are only with an intent to suit Mr Srinivasan as that would ensure that he still remains a back seat driver. The moot question that needs to be answered is — Who gave the Board counsel instructions to plead for postponement of the AGM,” he said.
“Under the Board Constitution, though it is mandatory to hold the AGM on or before 30th September, the Working Committee meeting which was attended by Mr Srinivasan fixed the date of the AGM as 20th of November probably hoping that the names of Mr N Srinivasan and Meiyappan would be cleared.”
Manohar wondered what will happen to the affairs of the Board if the investigation/hearing goes on for some time.
“The second question that comes to mind is - if the investigation/hearing pulls on for several years, then will the Board keep functioning under the same set upIJ,” he asked.
He charged Srinivasan of running the Board affairs from the backdoor and made an appeal to “all members of the Board to rise to the occasion and prevent the Board and the Game from being further destroyed”.
“Mr Srinivasan, the President of BCCI has been prohibited from participating in the functioning of the Board since last several months. In spite of being prohibited he continues to run the Board which is amply evident from the Board functioning. For example the allotment of International Matches to Centers by flouting the long practice of rotation adopted by the Board,” he said.