BCCI decides to dilute Lodha reform on tenure at AGM, to seek SC approval
Mumbai, Dec 1: The Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI on Sunday decided to water down the Supreme Court-mandated administrative reforms on tenure cap for its office-bearers, seeking to clear the path for the former captain to get an extension at the end of his nine-month stint.
The decision was taken at the Board's 88th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will require the apex court's approval.
"All the proposed amendments have been approved and will be forwarded to the Supreme Court," a top official told PTI.
As per the current constitution, an office-bearer who has served two three-year terms, either at the BCCI or at the state association, goes into a compulsory three-year cooling-off period.
Ganguly, who took charge on October 23, was to vacate office next year but a dilution could see him continue till 2024.
The current dispensation wants the cooling off period to kick in only after the individual has finished two terms (six years), at the board and state association separately.
The move, if approved, will also clear the way for Secretary Jay Shah to get an extension as time left in his current tenure is also less than a year.
The Board also wants the court to keep out of future decisions on constitutional amendments and has proposed that a three-fourth majority at the AGM be enough to take a final call.
The officials believe it is not "practical" to take the Supreme Court's approval for every amendment, which is currently a must as per the existing constitution.
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No disputed structure should be called mosque: UP CM Adityanath
Mahakumbh Nagar (UP), Jan 11: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said no controversial structure should be referred to as "a mosque", asserting that tenets of Islam are "against constructing a mosque-like structure" at disputed sites.
Adityanath made the remarks while referring to the Shahi Jama Masjid dispute in Sambhal that sparked violence in November last year, according to an official statement.
The chief minister, while speaking at an event of a private news channel here, also said that worship at disputed sites is neither acceptable to God nor in line with Islamic principles, it said.
"We must never call a controversial structure a mosque. The day we stop calling it (a mosque), people will stop going there. Islam itself teaches against hurting anyone's faith or constructing a mosque-like structure at such places," the chief minister said.
"If God disapproves, why should we engage in such futile worship?" he questioned.
Adityanath emphasized that Islam does not require the construction of specific structures for worship, unlike Sanatan Dharma, where temples are central to religious practice, the statement said.
He called for a shift towards unity and progressive thinking, saying, "This is time to embrace the vision of a new India."
On the Sambhal violence over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, he said that Sambhal was prophesied as the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, long before the advent of Islam.
The chief minister further stated that historical documents like Ain-i-Akbari mention the demolition of a Shri Hari Vishnu temple in 1526 to erect the Jama Masjid, calling for the site to be voluntarily returned, the statement said.
He also suggested that the issue of disputed religious sites, such as the Shahi Jama Masjid, should not require judicial intervention. Instead, he advocated for mutual reconciliation, urging "followers of Islam to acknowledge the truth and extend a gesture of goodwill", according to the statement.
On the matter of the Places of Worship Act, Adityanath expressed confidence that the courts would ensure justice and respect for faith.
The Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal came into spotlight after a local court accepting a plea that it has been built over a temple ordered survey in November last year. During the second survey of the mosque on November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal in which four people were killed.
On the historical significance of Ayodhya, Adityanath also expressed gratitude for the installation of Ram Lalla's idol in 2024, noting that it ended a 500-year-long wait. He stated that the Maha Kumbh-2025 was being held at an auspicious time.
Reflecting on his slogan "Ek hain to nek hain, batenge to katenge", Adityanath highlighted the importance of unity, saying, "History has shown us that division weakens us. If we learn from the mistakes of the past, such situations will never arise again."
The chief minister also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, saying, "Those who once strangled the Constitution now hold its copy to mislead the public."
He also pointed out that terms like "secular" and "socialist" were added to the Constitution during the Emergency, the statement said.
