A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Amul cooperative to consider no-confidence motion against its Chairman has been cancelled following the Gujarat High Court’s stay on it.
The meeting of the Board of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which sells milk and butter products under the popular brand ‘Amul’, was scheduled for Saturday and the agenda moved by some members for removal of its Chairman Vipul Chaudhary was to be taken up.
“The Board meeting has been postponed as the Gujarat High Court has given a stay order on tomorrow’s meeting,” Amul Managing Director RS Sodhi told the news agency.
The next court hearing is on November 11, he added. Chaudhary today moved the High Court against the planned resolution at the Board meeting. The resolution to bring no-confidence motion against Chaudhary was signed by 14 out of 17 directors of various district dairy cooperatives.
It was expected to be taken up at the board meeting on Saturday. While directors sponsoring the resolution said they were seeking removal of Chaudhary for his alleged misrule, others saw a political angle to it as Amul Chairman was seen accompanying Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on a recent visit to Gujarat.
Chaudhary, who is with the BJP, did not answer phone calls made to him repeatedly to seek his comments. A director, who had signed the resolution, said: “Despite protests from several quarters in the Board not to sell cattle feed to Maharashtra, Chaudhary went ahead with the decision and gave it for free to the neighbouring state.
“However, when Gujarat was reeling under scarcity and the State Government approached the federation for cattle feed, it was provided, but not free of cost.” He said Chaudhary had taken several decisions which were against the federation’s constitution.