Supreme Court to Hear PIL Against AIFF, IMG-Reliance

Hot on the heels of cricket, India football will now enter the corridors of the Supreme Court for all the wrong reasons.

Two former football stars - Bhaskar Ganguly and Manoranjan Bhattacharya - have taken the All India Football Federation and its commercial partners IMG-Reliance to court for hurting growth and development of the game in India.

The Supreme Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation filed by the two former superstars on August 5. The footballers will be represented by well-known lawyer and APP member Prashant Bhushan.

At the peak of their careers, Ganguly and Bhattacharya turned out for the century-old East Bengal club. The AIFF's plans to restructure the football leagues in India have come in for sharp criticism from clubs who have been the backbone of Indian soccer for years.

Former Mohun Bagan superstar and Trinamool MP Prasun Banerjee has even raised the issue in the Parliament. The AIFF's plans to scrap the I-League and make the two-edition-old franchise-based Indian Super League the national league has created a storm.

In their plea, the Ganguly and Bhattacharya have raised various issues that includes the protection of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 (1) (a) and 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution of India.

The PIL says, "The IMG-RIL has a direct conflict of interest as they hold all commercial rights to football in India and at the same time own and promote Indian Super League... and ignore promotion and popularising the game involving the clubs who are the most important stakeholders and the backbone of any sport in any country."

IMG-Reliance, which virtually controls the AIFF, has grandiose plans for Indian football. But top clubs have found them impractical and a tactic bid to kill club football in India.

AIFF's plan to scrap the I-League has raised a storm. (Picture credit: AIFF)

Several well-known clubs like JCT Mills, Mahindra United, Pune FC, have pulled out of the I-League and the list could grow. If ISL becomes the main league, more top teams will shut shops, feel the petitioners.

With top tournaments like Durand Cup, Rovers, Federation and IFA Shield losing their shine over the years, AIFF's vision has come under serious introspection.

The PIL alleges, "AIFF and IMF-RIL have ignored obligations towards the development and promotion of domestic tournaments."

The PIL also focuses on the travelling expenses of AIFF officials.

"It is to be noted that while AIFF denies basic facilities to the budding footballers of the country they prefer to spend 65 lakhs on its meeting expenses."

The PIL seeks the court to intervene and form a committee to run the game in India, free of commercial exploitation.