Usha accuses Exec Council of trying to sideline her

NEW DELHI: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha on Monday said that the revolting Executive Council members were trying to sideline her by their acts of defiance, including issuing termination letters to an official appointed by her.

On Friday, nine EC members had pasted a signed notice at the IOA office premises, asking “unauthorised persons” not to enter its headquarters. The notice, which Usha termed as “arbitrary”, was directed at two recently appointed officials.

A majority of EC members had earlier claimed that they had signed a suspension order declaring Raghuram Iyer’s appointment as IOA CEO in January as null and void, and “terminated” Usha’s executive assistant Ajay Narang.

“It is disheartening to see that we are still not able to work as a team and each of your acts is an attempt to sideline me,” Usha said in her response sent to the revolting EC members.

“I am left with no option but to remind you all that the day-to-day administrative functions, including hiring and firing of staff, is not the job of the EC,” she said, and directed the IOA staff to remove copies of the notice posted within the IOA Bhawan. “The IOA staff is instructed to follow guidance and directives from my office via my executive assistant.”