Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is disqualifying many of its officials. Amongst them, Niranjan Shah, who is also facing disqualification from holding any office, has questioned the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee recommendations, asking if the President of India can function beyond 70 years of age, why couldn’t the BCCI president. Shah, 73, who is a former president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) also faces the brunt of the ‘one state, once vote’ ruling. He was on Wednesday included in the committee set up by the BCCI to see which of the Lodha recommendation could be implemented.
Former president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA), Niranjan Shah who is currently 73, is facing the burden of the ‘one state, once vote’ rule. BCCI on Wednesday called a meeting to see which of the Lodha recommendation could be implemented, and he also attended that meeting.
Shah expressed his discontent saying, “If the Indian President can be well over 70 years of age, why can’t the BCCI administrators work beyond that that age limit.”
“I don’t understand this hue and cry over the age limit of the BCCI office-bearers. If our president (Pranab Mukherjee, who is 81) can work beyond 70, what is so wrong about BCCI officials working beyond that age limit.
“As long as you are fit, you can work even until the time you are alive. I call this age discrimination (what is being proposed by the Lodha panel).”
Shah is currently in the Special Panel which is led by Sourav Ganguly even though the Lodha recommendations render him ineligible to be a state or BCCI administrator on all counts.
Talking about the meeting to study Lodha reforms, Shah said, “I think my experience will come handy in the panel as we have discussed the recommendations at length during the BCCI SGM. Though all members will have a say.”