New
Delhi,
Jan
25
(PTI)
Embattled
Suresh
Kalmadi
todayhit
back
at
the
Sports
Minister,
terming
his
sacking
from
thechairmanship
of
Commonwealth
Games
Organising
Committee
as"illegal
and
uncalled
for."
A
day
after
he
was
sacked
as
CWG
OC
chairman
by
the
newSports
Minister
Ajay
Maken,
Kalmadi
remained
defiant
and
saidthat
only
the
Indian
Olympic
Association,
which
has
appointedhim
to
the
post,
has
the
power
to
remove
him.
He
said
that
he
would
hand
over
the
charge
of
OC
chairmanto
the
Chief
Executive
Jarnail
Singh
--
as
has
been
told
to
doby
the
Sports
Minister
--
under
protest.
"I
am
shocked
to
receive
Order
dated
24th
January
2011,illegally
and
arbitrarily
removing
me
from
the
position
ofChairman
of
the
Executive
Board
and
the
Organizing
Committeeof
the
Commonwealth
Games,"
Kalmadi
wrote
in
a
letter
toMaken.
"Without
prejudice
to
my
rights
and
contention
and
infurtherance
of
my
letter
wherein
it
has
been
stated
that
theorder
is
illegal
and
without
any
jurisdiction,
I
am
handingthe
charge
under
protest,"
he
said.
Kalmadi
contested
the
Sports
Ministry''s
reasoning
that
hewas
removed
form
his
post
to
ensure
"unhindered"
probe
intoalleged
corruption
in
the
conduct
of
the
CWG,
claiming
that
heand
the
OC
officials
have
been
cooperating
with
the
variousinvestigating
agencies.
"At
the
outset
it
is
important
for
me
to
point
out
that
Ihave
extended
all
possible
cooperation
to
all
investigatingagencies,
including
the
CBI.
Further,
I
have
even
specificallydirected
the
entire
OC,
including
the
CEO,
to
whom
all
FAheads
report
since
2009,
to
extend
all
assistance
possible
tothe
CBI
and
cooperate
with
them
to
the
fullest
extent.
"I
have
even
written
to
the
CBI
stating
I
am
available
toassist
them
at
any
given
point
of
time.
In
light
of
the
above,the
concerns
expressed
by
the
CBI
are
unfounded
and
the
Orderdated
24th
January
2011
is
uncalled
for,"
he
said.
Kalmadi
said
as
per
the
Host
City
contract
for
the
CWG,the
OC
was
established
by
the
IOA
and
therefore
the
SportsMinistry
was
not
legally
empowered
to
remove
him.
"I
was
elected
as
OC
chairman
by
IOA
General
assembly
onNovember
1,
2004.
The
IOA
is
an
independent
autonomous
bodyand,
as
per
the
Olympic
Charter,
must
remain
free
fromGovernment
interference.
It
is
also
relevant
to
point
out
thatas
per
Host
City
contract
for
the
Games
it
is
responsibilityof
the
IOA
to
establish
the
OC.
The
Sports
Ministry
istherefore
not
legally
empowered
to
remove
me,"
he
said.
"I
must
point
out,
that
the
OC
is
an
autonomous
societyregistered
under
Societies
Registration
Act.
As
chairman
ofthe
society,
I
can
only
be
removed
in
accordance
with
theconstitutional
documents
of
the
society.
In
view
thereof,
theOrder
dated
24th
January
2011
ought
not
to
have
been
issued
asthe
same
is
without
any
jurisdiction.
The
Order
dated
24thJanuary
2011
has
been
issued
as
a
kneejerk
reaction
to
theprejudice
created
by
certain
sections
of
media,"
he
added.
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