Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Friday informed that the sports ministry has suspended the recognition granted to Indian Olympic Association after the appointments of tainted Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala as life presidents of the national Olympic body.
"We have suspended recognition granted to Indian Olympic Association until it reverses its decision on appointments of Kalmadi and Chautala," Goel told ANI.
"The day the IOA took this decision to appoint Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents, the government clarified that they don't agree with it as the decision was against basic ethics. That's why the government has decided to suspend their recognition till it reverses the order," he added.
The Sports Minister further said it was necessary to send a across that associations are accountable to public and must abide by the code of conduct.
Following the suspension, the IOA will cease to enjoy the government's assistance, financial or otherwise. The ministry had issued a showcause notice to IOA on Wednesday after the IOA on December 27 appointed Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents in its general body meeting in Chennai.
The national Olympic body had a deadline till 5:00p.m. today to reply to the notice, instead they sought an extension till January 15, citing that the body's president was not in the country. But the ministry was not satisfied with the response and said IOA was trying to buy time.
Earlier in the day, IOA's assistant vice-president Narinder Batra also resigned from his post in protest over the appointments of Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents.
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Kalmadi has voluntarily decided to step down from the post, confirmed his counsel Hitesh Jain on Wednesday.
Also, Chautala, former IOA president, has insisted that he is ready to relinquish the post if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tells him to do so.