After having told the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to amend its constitution and hold fresh elections, the Union Sports Ministry has ordered the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) to go through a similar exercise within a 90-day period.
The ultimatum, issued in a letter to the SFI on Thursday, stated that the federation had not followed the Government guidelines in its elections held last June, and had also not followed its own constitutional provisions.
The letter noted that the SFI had sought three months' time in August following a show cause notice issued to it by the Government, stating that it needed more time to convene a general body meeting and discuss the issues mentioned by the ministry.
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The SFI has been told to lay down clear-cut election by-laws and procedures and hold elections through a secret ballot for all the posts simultaneously and announce the results together. Virendra Nanavati was elected Secretary of the SFI at its last elections for a sixth term against the Government guidelines stipulation of two terms of four years each at a stretch for that post.
The Government's directives to the BAI and SFI follows the Delhi High Court's refusal to grant stay to the federations on the operation of the revised Government guidelines issued last May.
The Indian Olympic Association had stated earlier that it would not fall in line and also advised the National Sports Federations (NSFs) not to amend their constitutions till the matter was resolved.
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