NEW DELHI: A day ahead of the National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) elections in Mohali, the sports ministry has directed the shooting body to initiate a fresh electoral process to its governing body for the term 2021-25 and change the returning officer (RO) with a person of independent credentials after sufficiently establishing a case for the violation of the national sports code, 2011, TOI has learned. The RO is Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill.
Incumbent president Raninder Singh’s candidacy for the top post has also been questioned by the ministry when a previous communication had declared his tenure between 2017 and 2021 as his ‘third term’ as the NRAI chief. Even if NRAI’s brass goes ahead with the scheduled elections on Saturday, the entire process would be declared ‘null and void’ in the light of the ministry’s order.
The NRAI intends to go ahead with its elections as the matter is subjudice and pending before the Delhi High Court with the next date of hearing in December. The ministry’s order came on the petition filed by NRAI presidency hopeful Shyam Singh Yadav, who is the chief of the Uttar Pradesh State Rifle Association (UPSRA) and also a Member of Parliament (MP) from UP’s Jaunpur constituency. Singh, on the other hand, is incumbent Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s son.
Singh had previously defeated Yadav for the president’s post in the NRAI’s 2010 and 2017 elections. This time also, Yadav had thrown his hat in the ring for the top job after filing his nomination. Yadav had made representations to the ministry twice – on August 12 and 14 – and the NRAI’s comments were sought on it. The shooting body replied on September 4 and, on September 10, the High Court directed the ministry to take an informed decision on the petitioner’s representations in accordance with law.
In accordance with the court’s directions, the ministry passed its order: “The apprehensions/doubts expressed by the petitioner about the fairness and impartiality of the conduct of elections accord reasonable grounds for a relook at the proposed elections. Keeping in view the need for holding elections in a fair, objective and transparent manner after clearing the apprehensions/doubts raised by the petitioner, NRAI needs to review its decision regarding appointment of the RO and holding of elections. Therefore, the NRAI is directed to appoint a new RO and initiate a fresh election process for conducting elections to its Governing Body in a fair, objective and transparent manner by adhering to the provisions of national sports code of India, 2011,” the ministry’s order read.
The ministry also clarified that Singh’s current tenure (2017-21) will be counted as his third term as president. “The petitioner has raised the issue of the current president of NRAI seeking his re-election as president for the fourth term and, whereas this ministry’s letter dated 30.10.2017 provides that he is serving his third term as president of NRAI for 2017-2021.” The NRAI argues that Singh hasn’t completed 12 years as president as mandated in the sports code. After the death of NRAI’s then president Digvijay Singh, Raninder assumed the office in December 2010 to complete the remainder of the term. He came unopposed to office in 2013 and later after defeating Yadav in 2017. The NRAI’s dispensation believes that the president still has one-and-a-half-years to serve the office.
According to the ministry’s order, the petitioner had taken objection to the appointment of the RO, in view of the contention brought out that the RO has close personal and professional relations with a close relative of the present president of NRAI, who has called for the elections to the shooting body’s governing body.
“A perceptible conflict of interest arising out of imputed personal and professional relations among the RO and the concerned stakeholders has been drawn by the petitioner, it is observed that the such infringements are against the spirit of Article 14(g) of the constitution of NRAI stipulating it to abide by the rules and regulations of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). It has also been contended by the petitioner that the RO was appointed as Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of the State of Punjab under Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act; and that his name for the said post has been recommended by a three-member committee headed by a close relative of the current president of NRAI,” the order noted.
On the issue concerning Pawan Kumar Singh, the joint secretary general of the NRAI, the ministry stated that “Pawan Kumar Singh, who may be participating in the said election, the NRAI needs to adhere to article 3(j) of its constitution which debars such persons to become/continue as a member in any category whose spouse is or becomes a dealer of arms and/or ammunitions.”
After the ministry’s order, G S Singh, secretary general, UPSRA wrote to the IOA and NRAI’s member state associations: “….in the event NRAI continues its election process in violation of MYAS order and Sports Code, wherein Mr. Raninder Singh insists on his elections as a President, not only this election will be declared null and void it but even the NRAI may be derecognised and an administrator will be appointed. Such an act by any person will be violative of the sports ministry’s order and as well as judicial order and will be in total self-interest not thinking even an iota about the federation and its shooter’s interest. This would mean that Indian shooters would not be able to contest under the Indian flag while representing India. The morale and the sport of shooting would seriously suffer.”
Incumbent president Raninder Singh’s candidacy for the top post has also been questioned by the ministry when a previous communication had declared his tenure between 2017 and 2021 as his ‘third term’ as the NRAI chief. Even if NRAI’s brass goes ahead with the scheduled elections on Saturday, the entire process would be declared ‘null and void’ in the light of the ministry’s order.
The NRAI intends to go ahead with its elections as the matter is subjudice and pending before the Delhi High Court with the next date of hearing in December. The ministry’s order came on the petition filed by NRAI presidency hopeful Shyam Singh Yadav, who is the chief of the Uttar Pradesh State Rifle Association (UPSRA) and also a Member of Parliament (MP) from UP’s Jaunpur constituency. Singh, on the other hand, is incumbent Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s son.
Singh had previously defeated Yadav for the president’s post in the NRAI’s 2010 and 2017 elections. This time also, Yadav had thrown his hat in the ring for the top job after filing his nomination. Yadav had made representations to the ministry twice – on August 12 and 14 – and the NRAI’s comments were sought on it. The shooting body replied on September 4 and, on September 10, the High Court directed the ministry to take an informed decision on the petitioner’s representations in accordance with law.
In accordance with the court’s directions, the ministry passed its order: “The apprehensions/doubts expressed by the petitioner about the fairness and impartiality of the conduct of elections accord reasonable grounds for a relook at the proposed elections. Keeping in view the need for holding elections in a fair, objective and transparent manner after clearing the apprehensions/doubts raised by the petitioner, NRAI needs to review its decision regarding appointment of the RO and holding of elections. Therefore, the NRAI is directed to appoint a new RO and initiate a fresh election process for conducting elections to its Governing Body in a fair, objective and transparent manner by adhering to the provisions of national sports code of India, 2011,” the ministry’s order read.
The ministry also clarified that Singh’s current tenure (2017-21) will be counted as his third term as president. “The petitioner has raised the issue of the current president of NRAI seeking his re-election as president for the fourth term and, whereas this ministry’s letter dated 30.10.2017 provides that he is serving his third term as president of NRAI for 2017-2021.” The NRAI argues that Singh hasn’t completed 12 years as president as mandated in the sports code. After the death of NRAI’s then president Digvijay Singh, Raninder assumed the office in December 2010 to complete the remainder of the term. He came unopposed to office in 2013 and later after defeating Yadav in 2017. The NRAI’s dispensation believes that the president still has one-and-a-half-years to serve the office.
According to the ministry’s order, the petitioner had taken objection to the appointment of the RO, in view of the contention brought out that the RO has close personal and professional relations with a close relative of the present president of NRAI, who has called for the elections to the shooting body’s governing body.
“A perceptible conflict of interest arising out of imputed personal and professional relations among the RO and the concerned stakeholders has been drawn by the petitioner, it is observed that the such infringements are against the spirit of Article 14(g) of the constitution of NRAI stipulating it to abide by the rules and regulations of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). It has also been contended by the petitioner that the RO was appointed as Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of the State of Punjab under Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act; and that his name for the said post has been recommended by a three-member committee headed by a close relative of the current president of NRAI,” the order noted.
On the issue concerning Pawan Kumar Singh, the joint secretary general of the NRAI, the ministry stated that “Pawan Kumar Singh, who may be participating in the said election, the NRAI needs to adhere to article 3(j) of its constitution which debars such persons to become/continue as a member in any category whose spouse is or becomes a dealer of arms and/or ammunitions.”
After the ministry’s order, G S Singh, secretary general, UPSRA wrote to the IOA and NRAI’s member state associations: “….in the event NRAI continues its election process in violation of MYAS order and Sports Code, wherein Mr. Raninder Singh insists on his elections as a President, not only this election will be declared null and void it but even the NRAI may be derecognised and an administrator will be appointed. Such an act by any person will be violative of the sports ministry’s order and as well as judicial order and will be in total self-interest not thinking even an iota about the federation and its shooter’s interest. This would mean that Indian shooters would not be able to contest under the Indian flag while representing India. The morale and the sport of shooting would seriously suffer.”
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