New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha dissolved its “legally appointed” Ethics Commission and has started the process of setting up a new body in violation of IOA’s constitution, vice-president Rajlaxmi Singh Deo complained to the Union Sports Ministry on Saturday.

In response to the ministry’s letter to IOA on the latter recognising one Indian Golf Union faction over the other, Deo in a letter to the ministry said the Executive Council (EC) is not to blame, neither was it responsible for the actions taken by IOA. She said the IOA EC has been “rendered ineffective” as Usha was taking “arbitrary” decisions without “any consultation or advice” from the executive body.

In the letter, Deo also said India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games “may be in jeopardy unless the house is put to order.”

The row between Usha and EC has escalated against the backdrop of the controversial IGU elections. The Sports Ministry has taken a stern view of IOA recognising the Harish Kumar Shetty-led IGU faction, asking the apex sports body to adhere to its constitution and National Sports Code.

“It is indeed a matter of concern that the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability, as embodied in the Olympic Charter and the Sports Code, have been violated repeatedly by the President IOA, flouting all norms of democratic behaviour,” Deo wrote to the ministry. A copy of the letter is with HT.

“The EC of IOA has been rendered ineffective by the dictatorial attitude of the President of IOA, who chooses to take arbitrary decisions without any consultation or advice from the EC, in total violation of the IOA constitution and norms.”

“The case of IGU elections is one of the glaring instances where the norms of good governance has been given the go by,” she said.

An IGU faction had complained to the Ethics Commission against Usha, Deo said. “The President IOA has dissolved the legally appointed Ethics Commission of IOA which was ratified by the General Body of IOA, and has constituted a nomination committee to nominate a new Ethics Commission..” Deo was referring to the complaint against Usha by an IGU official before the IOA Ethics Commission for “interfering” in its election process in “blatant violation of the IOA constitution and IOC charter.”

The three-member nomination committee appointed by Usha includes CEO Raghuram Iyer, who she said was never appointed or his name ratified by EC as per the IOA Constitution.

The current seven-member independent Ethics Commission is headed by Justice (retd.) Kailash Gambir. On December 16, Usha issued an office order which said the IOA Ethics Committee has not been formed as per the mandatory provisions of the IOA constitution, as amended under the supervision of the Supreme Court on 02.11.2022. She pointed to the IOA byelaws 17.3.

“Since the proposal and appointment of the Ethics Committee members can only be done by the Nomination Committee, it is imperative that the nomination committee be formed at the earliest,” Usha said in the office order.

The nomination committee comprises Usha, IOA CEO and vice-chairperson of the Athletes Commission (Sharath Kamal).