Former cricketer and two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Chetan Chauhan has been appointed chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
Chauhan, who is vice-president of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and a senior BCCI official, runs his own cricket academy and also owns a newsprint business. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah for his appointment.
Defending the decision, Chahan told Indian Express, "It is a Government of India appointment. The names are sent by the Ministry of Textiles. They chose me because I'm an international sportsman and have experience in banking. For 23 years, I've spent quality time in banking."
"I'll spend 60% of time in DDCA, 20% at NIFT and 20% in my business", he added.
His appointment has come under sharp criticism from Opposition political parties with Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chaddha saying it's an illogical decision to appoint a former cricketer as the chairperson of a prestigious institution like NIFT.
"To make a person who isn't even remotely related to fashion, the chief of a fashion institute, is absurd. Narendra modi ji ki mahima mandal karte hai. If things have to go on like this, you should appoint Chetan Chauhan as RBI governor and Anupam Kher as ISRO chief and then see how the population makes you understand the scenario. Chauhan doesn't even know the F of fashion," he said.
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said the only criteria for the appointment seemed to be "loyalty and absolute lack of qualification".
Other high-profile appointments of the Modi government in the past- from Gajendra Chauhan at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) to Pahalaj Nihalani at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) - have drawn severe criticism from different sections.
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