IAP poll row: Physiotherapists convene meet in Mumbai today

A controversy is brewing over the recently held elections to the Indian Association of Physiotherapy with a section of physiotherapists from across the country

A controversy is brewing over the recently held elections to the Indian Association of Physiotherapy with a section of physiotherapists from across the country,who claim not to have received ballot papers for the election,calling a special general body meeting in Mumbai on Sunday. The IAP,however,clarified on its website that the IAP had not called the special general body meeting and hence it is not valid.

IAP former president Dr Ali Irani,who got a mere 2,162 votes in the election and was defeated by new president Uma Sankar Mohanty from Mangalore,claimed that a majority of members from across the country did not get the ballot papers. Dr B S Desikamani,an ex-officio member from Chennai who had contested to the post of general secretary and lost,said at least 20 per cent of the total 28,000 IAP members did not receive the ballot papers while many received them after the last date of March 21 (when the election was held).

Several physiotherapists who have gathered in Mumbai from Chennai,Orissa and Kerala have raised complaints about the election process.

Election officer A Jagatheesan told The Sunday Express that as many as 27,000 ballot papers had been posted well in time and he had received less than 50 complaints. The details of the election have been posted on the website and the meeting called on Sunday is not valid as per IAP bylaws. This is not a legal general body meeting.

However,physiotherapists who have gathered in Mumbai alleged that the postal ballot process was manipulated. Dr J Gopalakrishnan,convenor of the Kerala chapter of IAP,said,A majority of our members did not receive the ballot papers and could not vote. How is it then that the polling reached 14,500 votes, he asked.

Several physiotherapists from Pune have also gone to Mumbai for the meeting as they claimed that they also did not receive the ballot papers. According to rules,the ballots should be posted before February 21. Why did it take so long to reach, asks Irani,adding that no IAP member of Srinagar,Pondicherry,parts of Mumbai and Guwahati had received the ballot papers.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram