NEW DELHI: Former BJP MP and cricketer Chetan Chauhan has been appointed as the chairman of the prestigious institution - National Institute of Fashion Technology – dedicated for teaching promoting fashion studies.
Set up in 1986, the premier fashion institute, which has centres across the country, comes under the Union Ministry of Textiles. Chauhan said: “I have been appointed (as the NIFT Chairman) by the Government of India and I will work to the best of my ability.”
Chauhan is vice president of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), and chief of Kreeda Bharati, a the sports wing of the RSS. Under the RSS affiliated body, Chauhan was promoted indigenous sports like malkhamb, kho kho, kabaddi, langdi.
Interestingly, as per the NIFT Act 2006, the Chairperson of the institute’s Board of Governors shall be an eminent academician, scientist or technologist or professional, who is to be nominated by the Visitor, in this case the President of India. So, after news of Chauhan’s being named for the top post came the social media and some political parties questioned the move to appoint a cricketer to fashion institute.
Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal hit out at PM Narendra Modi for appointing’sycophants’ in prestigious institutions.
“Chauhan’s appointment is similar to the appointments to institutions like the FTII and CBFC. This is absurd. He (Chauhan) does not know ‘F’ about fashion and he is the same person who defended Jaitley. And his appointment has the blessings of Amit Shah and Modi,” AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha told reporters.
Twitterati also had fun on Chauhan’s appointment saying if he could appointed as NIFT chief, then Salman Khan be appointed as ISRO chief. Another tweet said Chetan Chauhan boss of NIFT is like Government telling Katrina Kaif to define country's GDP.
Yet another tweet remarked, “Ok. Let Gajendra Chauhan, head of FTII, & Chetan Chauhan, head of NIFT decide who'll be head of RBI.”