HCA President Mohammad Azharuddin addressing the AGM meeting. -File photo
Hyderabad: The ugly tussle for power between President Mohammed Azharuddin and the Apex Council members of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has turned from bad to worse. Reacting strongly to the suspension orders issued by Azharuddin to the four office-bearers — secretary R Vijayanand, vice president John Manoj, joint secretary Naresh Sharma and treasurer Surender Agarwal – they said as per the constitution of HCA, nowhere is it mentioned that the President has the powers to issue show cause notice.
“Therefore, issuance of the said notice is atrocious, abhorrent and simply cheap tactics of twisting of the facts which are open to everyone,’’ the five office-bearers said on Wednesday.
Lashing out at Azharuddin, the four office-bearers said they were strictly complying with the constitution but as president, he was corrupting the system to take advantage of the chaos and confusion by sheer manipulation. “Instead of focusing on cricket at Hyderabad, haven’t you chosen to be as a mentor to a private team in Dubai without sharing any information either with the HCA or the BCCI? Is this a deniable fact,?’’
They said this show cause notice has to be brought before the Apex Council for discussion. “This is not done by you. After the eighth Apex Council meeting, how many times did the members ask you to convene the meeting.’’
The Apex Council members further said they were unhappy with his abrasive, crude and indecent behavior in the Annual General Meeting-I (March 28), In fact, in the reply to the president, they said the entire Apex Council rejected his proposal of payment to Justice (retd) Deepak Verma (as Ombudsman). “You are held responsible for the embarrassment to the Justice. We can list so many flaws committed by you and don’t you ever think that we members can be bullied in this fashion.’’
They said AGM-I and AGM-II has rejected him and his proposals. According to the Apex Council members, AGM did not endorse Azharuddin’s representative to the BCCI. “Your self-declaration and proclamation is illegal, unconstitutional, unethical, undignified and unlawful.’’
They even asked the reasons behind his walk out from the AGM-II without the agenda being completed.
Kakru accepts Ombudsman post
The affairs in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) seem to be heading towards another phase of bitterness and uncertainty. Both the groups are on a collision mode on the appointment of the Ombudsman.
After president Mohammed Azharuddin said that Justice (retd) Deepak Verma, former judge of Supreme Court, had accepted the post, the Vijayanand group on Wednesday said that Justice (retd) Nisar Ahmad Kakru, the former chief justice of Andhra Pradesh, had also agreed to be the Ombudsman adding more confusion and controversy to the already long-drawn dirty soap opera.
In his acceptance letter to secretary Vijayanand, Kakru said that his appointment as Ombudsman of HCA has not been made at his instance but on the initiative of the members. “With the approval of HCA in its 85th AGM, I accept the role of Ombudsman of Hyderabad Cricket Association,’’ he said.
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