Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said the government would not interfere in the functioning of National Sports Federations (NSF), insisting that the autonomy of NSFs should be maintained “at any cost”.

Rijiju’s statement came after reports emerged that Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra had alleged the ministry was trying to interfere in the functioning of NSFs.

Adherence to the National Sports Code and good governance in NSFs are cornerstones of transparency and fairness. The government was committed to providing necessary support to NSFs and ensuring the well-being of our athletes was not compromised, the minister added.

The issue snowballed into a controversy after Batra’s allegations of interference in the functioning of NSFs by Sports Authority of India’s TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) CEO Rajesh Rajagopalan.

Clearing the air, Rijiju said the ministry, IOA and NSFs share a common goal — improving the sporting ecosystem of the country and make India a sporting superpower. He stressed on the need for all stakeholders to work in unison to achieve the common goal.