Former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who recently lost the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president’s election, has questioned the appointment of Shaji Prabhakaran as its secretary general, saying that “choosing a voter to a salaried post will set a wrong precedent”. He also alleged that the appointment has an element of “bargaining”.
Normally, the AIFF secretary general is an ex-officio member of the executive committee without voting rights.
Bhutia has requested the AIFF to include this issue of Prabhakaran's appointment in the agenda of the executive committee meeting to be held in Kolkata on Monday.
Prabhakaran, who was in the electoral college as a representative of Football Delhi, resigned as its president on September 6, a day before he took charge as AIFF secretary general. Former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey beat Bhutia 33-1 in the polls for president’s post on September 2.
Prabhakaran, on his part, said he had taken up the post with good intentions to serve Indian football and nothing else. He rejected any kind of bargaining or quid-pro-quo in the run-up to the AIFF elections.
He added that Bhutia is an executive committee member and is free to raise matters. “When he raises this issue during the meeting (on Monday), I am sure the executive committee will take a call (to discuss it or not),” he said.
Bhutia said, “I would not have any issue had he been appointed to an honorary post. Next time onwards somebody will bargain to vote to get a salaried post after the election.”
One of the six former players co-opted in the AIFF executive committee with voting rights, Bhutia did not attend the first meeting of the body on September 3, but he said he will turn up in Kolkata on Monday.
“This (membership of executive committee) is given through a decision of the Supreme Court and not given by the federation or the sports ministry. So, I want to honour the SC decision to recognise my contribution to Indian football,” he said.
