IOA chief Batra asks for EC approval for new committees, Mehta objects

Mehta said that it was him as secretary-general who was supposed to circulate the notice and not Batra, in what is a continuation of a dispute over the interpretation of the powers of the IOA President between the two.

"Besides, the appointment of committees/ commissions, President attempted to approve other 6 letters issued by him that challenge the working of the IOA and its precedence. Each one of those letters would be listed in the Agenda of the next meeting, deliberated openly with explanatory statements and decided upon. In the meanwhile, I request all not to make attempts to act upon those letters, the legal consequences of the same will have to be borne by all of us, as in the case of Ethics Commission," said Mehta in a letter addressed to the members of the Executive Council.

With the pandemic making a physical meeting difficult to cinduct, Batra had sent letters intimating the formation of the new committees for approval to the EC members to make for the lack of an online voting mechanism.

Batra on Monday replied to Mehta's letter, which was dated July 19 stating that the latter's concerns have already been addressed by him.

"...all the 17 letters have been approved by 83.33 % of the EC members voting. If you still have any issues you are free to discuss the same in the next EC meeting," he said.