BCA ombudsman lets suspended ex-joint secy vote

Vadodara: Former Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) joint secretary Parag Patel, who was suspended from the association last month, was allowed to cast his vote in the election on Sunday. Patel approached the BCA ombudsman and ethics officer Justice A J Desai after the BCA management, led by Revival Group, suspended his membership."I am thankful to Justice Desai for allowing me to vote. My rights have been restored," Patel told TOI. He said his petition against his suspension is still being heard by the ombudsman. "I was wrongly suspended without following the rules. Also, I did not do or say anything wrong," Patel, who is a supporter of the Royal Satyamev Jayate Group, said.The ombudsman further said in his order that Patel's ballot should be kept in a sealed cover and it shall be opened only after the ombudsman's ruling in the present proceeding.The BCA issued Patel a show-cause notice after the AGM in Nov and asked him to explain his actions, including protesting during the AGM and posting "provocative videos" on his social media accounts. Patel replied to the notice and asked the BCA management to point out which social media post they objected to. He also said that the term of ex-BCA secretary Ajit Lele — who signed the notice — had ended and he could thus not issue the notice.He said that he did not get a reply from the BCA management and they instead they suspended him. The BCA management, led by Revival Group, argued that he made false claims about Kotambi International Cricket Stadium on his social media account, stating that the association did not have the necessary permissions and infrastructure to host the India-NZ One Day International (ODI).Patel was removed from the BCA's apex council in 2022 for writing to the ombudsman without the council's permission and for allegedly making personal allegations against the treasurer. He contested the allegations and said he was wrongly suspended.