The Indian Olympic Association on Sunday sought to dilute the IOC's directive "to bar charge-framed persons from contesting elections and instead decided to refer such cases to the Ethics Commission of the IOA to take a decision," according to the PTI. The IOA, in a special General Body Meeting in New Delhi, "proposed to refer the cases of those persons against whom charges have been framed for offences that carry punishment of a jail term of more than two years to a nine-member Ethics Commission." There would, however, "be no bar to contest elections on persons against whom charges have been framed for offences, which carry a jail term of less than than two years." The Ethics Commission "will have four retired judges of High Court in Justices:" Bhagwati Prasad, B. K. Nehru, Usha Mehra and R. S. Sodhi. The IOA, however, rejected the IOC's directive to apply the age limit clause (of 70-year cap) to all officials or Exec Council members "and instead proposed to restrict it to the president, secretary general and treasurer" (PTI, 10/27). THE HINDU reported six-time Olympic shooter Randhir Singh, making it clear that some of the amendments to the IOA Constitution did not match the ones proposed by the IOC, said, "We are here for the sportspersons." The IOA "has decided to negotiate the issue with the IOC in Lausanne in due course of time" with the active support of Singh (THE HINDU, 10/27). The PTI reported Clean Sports India President Ashwini Nachappa said that the IOC should expel the IOA "for continuing to defy its guidelines on good governance and form an ad-hoc body to carry forward the Olympic movement in the country." Nachappa said, "CSI is extremely disappointed with the IOA which has brought shame on the entire sports community by not adhering to IOC's final directive of amending their constitution as per its guidelines." Nachappa said that in its last communication, "the IOC informed that it will give one last chance to the suspended IOA to mend their ways and get the suspension revoked." Nachappa: "But the few individuals, who are facing criminal charges are adamant and are not accepting IOC directives even if it meant denial of Indian athletes participating under the Indian flag" (PTI, 10/28).
