Hockey India Monday accused the union sports ministry of functioning as the sports ministry of Punjab for insisting that the state hockey unit be affiliated even if its documents are not complete.
HI secretary-general Narendra Batra told a crowded news conference here that the sports ministry went out of its way to promote the interests of Hockey Punjab.
"The sports ministry wanted HI to grant affiliation to Punjab even without the formalities being completed and put undue pressure on our officials not to insist on Punjab filing all the required documents," said Batra.
Reacting to Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill's statement Sunday that the HI election was not fair and transparent, a furious Batra asked that how could it be fair when the state unit wanted affiliation without proper documentation and it was getting the sports ministry's backing.
Hockey Punjab's affiliation was delayed because it did not include the women's team of officials and a clarification was sought for the omission.
Batra said one of the reasons for former HI president Ashok Kumar Mattoo putting in his papers is the humiliation he had to undergo from the ministry officials.