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On Monday, the Supreme Court admitted a petition seeking the implementation of the parameters of the Justice RM Lodha recommendations, applicable on the Board of Control for Cricket in India, on the Badminton Association of India (BAI). The plea also seeks the ouster of ministers like Himanta Biswa Sarma as office-bearers of the badminton body.
Sarma, who is the current president of BAI and heads the Assam Badminton Association, also holds the position of the cabinet minister in the Assam state government. He is also the president of the Assam Cricket Association.
When contacted, a BAI spokesperson said that while the Supreme Court may admit a petition, until and unless the revised Sports Code is implemented there will be no changes within the association.
"Until and unless the revised Sports Code is implemented, ministers can hold posts in any sports bodies, regardless of whether or not the Supreme Court has admitted a petition. Once the Sports Code is implemented only then a decision will be taken. However, there is an AGM scheduled to be held later this month or in April, where the issue will be discussed further," the spokesperson told Sportskeeda.
Sarma has held his post in the BAI since April 2017. However, his tenure could be cut short if the Sports Code comes through.
The revised National Sports Code, which is under consideration, includes suggestions that will make not only ministers but also parliamentarians, members of legislative assemblies (MLAs) and bureaucrats ineligible to hold key posts in national sports federations (NSFs) and other autonomous sports bodies. While it takes a leaf out of the Lodha recommendations, it goes one step further by including MPs and MLAs in its sweep.
The Lodha recommendations stated for the BCCI was given the green light by the Supreme Court and hence, the cricketing body had to imbibe some of the reforms. However, not every state unit of the BCCI has adopted a constitution that imbibes all the tenets.
