NRAI president takes leave of absence

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, March 30

The president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Raninder Singh, has taken a leave of absence from his post, handing temporary charge to senior vice-president Kalikesh Singh Deo.

The decision purportedly came in response to the Sports Ministry’s order dated March 10 directing the NRAI to hold fresh elections for the president’s post because Raninder’s three-term period of 12 years ended on December 29. Raninder became president in 2010.

What has surprised the NRAI top brass is that there is a pending matter in the Delhi High Court regarding the NRAI elections held in Chandigarh in September 2021.

Uttar Pradesh State Rifle Association chief Shyam Singh Yadav, who lost the election, petitioned the court challenging the ministry’s then decision to allow Raninder to contest again.

Calling the March 10 order an arm twist, an aggrieved Raninder wrote in a letter that he doesn’t want his tenure issue to lead to any coercive action from the officials, including a drop in the federation’s funding ahead of the upcoming Asian Games and the Paris Olympics qualifying tournaments. Neither Raninder nor the ministry officials were available for comments.

NRAI secretary general K Sultan Singh, meanwhile, contested that the ministry’s order was in conflict with the order passed by the Delhi High Court in September 2021, refusing to interfere in the NRAI elections.