Monika Devi

Imphal, Aug. 27: Weightlifter Laishram Monika Devi submitted a written statement to the ongoing one-man inquiry panel at about the same time a coordinating committee from Manipur handed over a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding punishment of officials responsible for her exclusion from the Indian squad to the Beijing Olympics.

Accusing sports officials, including those from the Indian Olympic Association, SAI and National Dope Testing Laboratory of conspiring against Monika Devi to exclude her from participating in the recently concluded Beijing Olympics, the committee demanded punishment of all those involved in the “conspiracy”.

A three-member delegation of the Coordinating Committee against Conspiracy to Exclude Monika Devi from Beijing Olympics reached New Delhi yesterday to take the fight against “discrimination” to the national capital.

The committee, comprising members of the Manipur Olympic Association, state-level sports, student and citizens’ organisations, was constituted after Monika Devi was pulled out of the Indian squad at the eleventh hour on the charge that she tested positive for a banned substance.

The IOA promptly dropped her from the Indian squad. Later, though SAI cleared her of the charges, it could not fetch her a ticket to Beijing as the clearance came “too late”.

Crying foul, Manipuris sought an investigation accusing sports authorities of the country of discrimination against sportspersons from the state.

After the Okram Ibobi Singh government demanded a CBI inquiry into the case, the Union sports ministry appointed former Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy to probe the matter.

Demanding punishment of guilty sports officials, the memorandum signed by co-convenor of the committee, Th. Manihar, also demanded an apology by the Centre to the people of Manipur for the injustice meted out to Monika Devi.

Terming Monika’s exclusion as a deliberate ploy, the committee reminded the Prime Minister of a decision taken at a public meeting it organised on August 11, that Manipur would continue to boycott national and international sporting events till justice was done.

The committee demanded immediate end to discrimination and violation of rights of the Manipuris.