Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said the government was open to review the clause in the proposed National Sports Code which bars Ministers, MPs and MLAs to be part of sports administration and promised to form an expert panel to look into the contentious issue.
Rijiju said the government and the IOA were not conflicted on the Code issue after his first-ever formal meeting with officials of National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the IOA but insisted it did not come up for discussion today.
"Sports Code is just a part of one thing which we consider as important but our main purpose is to promote sports. With regard to Sports Code, we have already taken a decision that this is a technical issue, this is an issue related to policy, so an expert committee will look into it at an appropriate time," Rijiju said.
"Along with the Indian Olympic Association, we will form an expert committee which will take a call but not now. We didn't deliberate on the issue in today's meeting. We deliberated on the promotions of sports and Olympic preparation," he said
"It is not about the profession it is about how suitable one is to run the sports federation. We cannot single out any person of any background. What is in the best interest of sport will be put in the Sports Code."
Asked about the earlier Sports Code, he said, "We can take good provisions from there and include it. It will be for the good of Indian sports."
Asked if a middle path could be found between all stakeholders, the Minister said: "There is no middle path, we are together. I want a Sports Code which is universally acceptable, which is suitable for sports and won't lead to any controversy."
"Why courts are intervening in sporting matters? If they are required to intervene it means there is a failure of sports mechanism. There will be no issue because all are on board whether it is IOA or NSFs. Sports Code will be reviewed with full consensus."