George had a dispute with Kerala sports minister EP Jayarajan.
AB Wire
Olympian Anju Bobby George stepped down as the president of the Kerala Sports Council on Wednesday following a dispute with the state sports minister EP Jayarajan. Jayarajan had accused George of being corrupt early this month.
“I was appointed by the previous state government around six months ago in Kerala. Things started to go wrong when we decided to appoint an ‘Ethics Commission’, which was given the mandate to probe corruption, nepotism, and harassment over the entire gambit of the council for the past decade,” said George at a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram.
All other nominated members of the council have decided to resign from the body. She alleged that the council responsible for ensuring the development of sports and welfare of sports personal has immersed in corruption and that an investigation should be initiated into the councils functioning for ten years.
“I wish to point out that let us not just limit the probe to six months; instead, we will look into the entire activities of the Council for the past one decade. This can also include the appointment of my brother. Let the probe be given to the director of Vigilance Jacob Thomas,” she said.
State sports minister EP Jayarajan had alleged that George and the members of the council were corrupt and belonged to the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition that appointed her. The UDF government, that was in power in the state till recently appointed George six months back.
“We are not acting for any political party. Sports is our party. I am not a member of Congress, Communist (Party) or BJP,” she said on June 9 while replying to the allegations of the sports minister.
The appointment of her brother Ajith Markose has also come under criticism on the ground that he didn’t satisfy the criteria to be appointed as a coach under Kerala Sports Council.
Countering the criticisms leveled against her, Anju Bobby George said that the functioning of the council for over a decade was suspicious.
“The ‘sports lottery’ that was conducted during the Left government (2006-11) is the biggest misappropriation that has taken place in the history of sports in the state. The infrastructure development that takes place under the council is totally corrupt. The truth has to come out,” said George.
“You can kill us, but (you) can’t defeat us…Sports is beyond the purview of any party or politics,” she said.
There are reports that the central government has offered her a higher post.
Responding on the resignation of George, EP Jayarajan said that he was happy with her decision and he didn’t ask her to step down.
Anju Booby George became the first Indian to win a medal in a World Athletics Championships in 2003.