The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on Tuesday withdrew the controversial Himachal Pradesh Sports (Registration, Recognition and Regulation of Associations) Bill, 2015 amid loud protests by the Congress party, which termed the ‘withdrawal’ against state interest.

As soon as Forest minister, Gobind Singh Thakur, who also holds sports portfolio, moved its withdrawal in the state Assembly, the Congress members, said as per rules, it is mandatory for the government to circulate the reasons for withdrawal of Bill one day in advance, which has not been done.
Speaker, Rajeev Bindal said he had allowed the agenda of ‘withdrawal’ as per rules.

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Congress MLA, Vikramaditya Singh said the government was in undue haste to withdraw the Sports Bill, which aimed at regulating the sports Associations and set the system right for the sportspersons in HP.

“The Bill was in consonance with Lodha Committee recommendations was aimed at bringing transparency in Sports Associations, and an effort to free them of politics and politicians. The Bill talked of two years fixed tenure, giving an opportunity to national and international players to come forward.

Singh referred to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and said the move of withdrawal may be aimed at giving relief to the cricket body.

He said people know how HPCA got registered as society, then as Company in Kanpur, and got how many out of the way benefits from the BJP government in the past. He said that the HPCA even tried to gain control over Annandale, which was opposed by even ARTRAC.

He said there should be a threadbare debate on the Bill. Former sports minister and Congress MLA from Naina Devi, Ram Lal Thakur said Sports minister, Gobind Singh Thakur had said that HP will bring Sports Bill akin to Haryana.

He said Haryana Sports Bill is about strengthening sports infrastructure through Sports Council, but the one passed by Assembly in Congress regime talked about streamlining the process for Sports Associations and the sports persons, who play at state, national and international level,” he said.

Thakur said in the wake of Lodha Committee’s recommendations in Supreme Court, the then president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Anurag Thakur had to quit, seeking apology.

“He has now tried to got control over Hockey Association in Himachal to finally make it to the Olympic Association,” he said, adding that alleged irregularities by HPCA were in already in the public eye.

He said some people across party lines have brought politics into sports. He said former Congress CM, Virbhadra Singh has to suffer personal vendetta for opening up front against alleged wrongdoings by cricket Association.

Thakur said it would be disastrous if the government dropped the 2015 Bill. BJP member from Nurpur, Rakesh Pathania told the Congress members to refrain from levelling allegations against BJP MP, who was not in the house to defend.

He said none should forget that the cricket stadium in Dharamshala had brought HP up in the world tourism map. In his reply, the minister said the Bill was not given assent by the Governor.

“The previous Congress government did not give comments when Governor asked for them. The issues raised by BJP members were not there in the Bill,” he said.

Earlier, in the beginning of Question Hour, Congress members staged a walk out, seeking to raise the issue of elections of Hockey Association.