Bhaichung Bhutia has asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to тАЬreconsiderтАЭ Shaji PrabhakaranтАЩs appointment as secretary-general. Bhutia, a former India captain and the first to play over 100 internationals, has written to new AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey proposing this be included in the agenda for MondayтАЩs executive committee. HT has a copy of the letter.
Bhutia has confirmed in the letter that he would attend the meeting in Kolkata. As the most capped among former internationals with 107 appearances, Bhutia heads the list of eminent players six of whom have been made part of the new executive committee. He didnтАЩt attend the first meeting, on September 3, one day after losing 1-33 to Chaubey in the AIFF elections.
тАЬOn the face of it, there appears to be some grave discrepancies,тАЭ Bhutia has said, referring to the first executive committee meeting. тАЬOn a reading of the draft minutes, it appears that despite not being a member of the EC, he (Prabhakaran) remained present through the meeting,тАЭ he has said. The committee considering ChaubeyтАЩs endorsement of Prabhakaran тАЬin his presenceтАЭ is, according to Bhutia, тАЬperturbingтАЭ and raises questions about the тАЬimpartiality in the appointment process.тАЭ
On September 3, Prabhakaran was seen at an event in Mumbai. The Football Delhi website still has Prabhakaran as president but his Twitter profile says he is a former head. On September 6, Prabhakaran had tweeted that it was his last day as head of DelhiтАЩs football unit.
Bhutia proposed that the secretary-general’s appointment be made in a тАЬfair and transparent mannerтАЭ through a тАЬdetailed advertisementтАЭ that invites applications and after the тАЬEC has approved and finalized (sic) the same.тАЭ Till that happens, Bhutia said Sunando Dhar, who as acting general secretary before Prabhakaran, be asked to continue.
тАЬI have received the letter and it will be discussed at the executive committee meeting,тАЭ said Chaubey when asked for a reaction on Friday.
