MAI restrained from
staging car rallies

The Delhi high court has directed the Motorsports Association of India not to stage any car rallies till further orders as it does not have the requisite recognition from the Indian government.

Justice Mukandakam Sharma gave the interim order till July 12, the next date of hearing, on a plea by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, saying the MAI has not been granted recognition by the government and hence is not entitled to hold car rallies.

The judge also said that in case a licence is issued to the MAI in the meantime, the same would be subject to further orders, to be passed on the injunction application.

This order shall be effective till the next date, which could be modified, after hearing the counsel for the parties, he added.

The court order will affect the races scheduled to be held on June 15 and 16 in Nashik, and July 10 and 11 in Mumbai.

On January 28, the high court had issued notice to the government on a petition seeking withdrawal of recognition to the FMSCI as the national sporting federation. Justice Manmohan Sarin directed the government to reply why it continues to accord recognition to the FMSCI when the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile (FIA), the autonomous international body that controls and administers motor sport, had withdrawn the sporting power for the country from the FMSCI.

The court was hearing a petition, filed by the MAI, which said that India is being targetted as one of the future venues for staging Formula One races, but FIA feels a great deal of action is necessary if the sport is to achieve its full potential in the country.

As the FMSCI had expressed its inability to restructure itself and carry out the modifications concerning rallies, the FIA had appointed MAI as the National Sporting Authority (ASN) for India, thus conferring it the sporting power to carry out the required work.

MAI counsel Rajiv Nayar said international recognition is mandatory for having recognition from the government.

Standing counsel for the government, Maninder Singh, stated that the government of a country first accords recognition to a sporting body and only then international recognition follows.

UNI