The National Sports Federations, led by the Indian Olympic Association, on Monday, almost completely rejected the draft sports legislation that the Union Government has been planning to bring in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Participating in a discussion before the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel that had been entrusted to give its recommendations to the Union Sports Ministry on the suggestions made towards fine-tuning the exposure draft of the National Sports Bill, speaker after speaker questioned the motive behind the Bill, and asserted that it was a clear attempt by the Government to take over the federations' functioning.
Leading the debate on behalf of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Mr. Arun Jaitely raised serious doubts over the Government's mechanism to bring in the proposed legislation either through Entry 13 of the Union List (seventh Schedule) or under its ‘Residual powers'.
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Mr. Jaitley, who is also the president of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association, in his one-hour arguments, repeatedly pointed out that sports continued to be a State subject and the Centre would be able to legislate only by bringing it into the Concurrent List. — Special Correspondent