Chartered Accountant calls out ‘VIP vs Non-VIP’ Discrimination at ICAI WOFA 2.0
Numerous members of the CA fraternity chimed in their opinions on the glaring disparities observed during the global conference.
Members of the Chartered Accountant (CA) Community have voiced out an overt disparity in the treatment of professionals according to their position during the recent Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) World of Accountants (WOFA) 2.0 event.
The ICAI World of Accountants (WOFA) is a flagship event of the ICAI, bringing together government officials, international delegates, members of the regulatory and policymaking sectors and accounting professionals across jurisdictions.
WOFA 2.0 was projected as a prestigious platform aimed at fostering global dialogue on finance, governance and regulatory developments.
It is regarding this event that Chartered Accountant Anupam Sharma (@caanupam7) has publicly criticised what he described as an emerging “VIP vs Non-VIP” culture at the recently concluded ICAI World of Accountants (WOFA) 2.0 event, alleging visible discrimination in seating arrangements and dining facilities between elected representatives and ordinary members.
https://x.com/caanupam7/status/2018172686732783941
Through a post on X, CA Sharma expressed disappointment over how far the Institute has drifted from ‘professional equality’
Sharma stated that the disparity manifested in numerous forms - from the plush sofas reserved for Central Council Members (CCM) and Regional Council Members (RCM) while ordinary members were provided with chairs “barely fit for sitting.” Separation was also noticed at the lunch and dinner areas were common members and CCMs/RCMs, a practice unprecedented in the CA fraternity’s history according to Sharma.
The post tagged several prominent members of the accounting community, including CA Rajesh Sharma, who is politically affiliated with the BJP and other well-known accounting professionals active on LinkedIn.
Notably, Sharma remarked that several of the elected representatives who had requested members to conduct WOFA bookings using their codes just days earlier were now acting as “untouchable hosts.”
The criticism drew swift responses from others members of the fraternity and the Twitterati.
CA Vivek Khurana (@khuranavivek) alleged unprofessional behaviour by an ICAI staff member during the event, claiming that a staff official behaved in a rude and intimidating manner towards members, including a lady member as well.
Other professionals did not hold back, lashing out professional equality and restrictive practices.
One of the members shared an image reportedly from the event, where numerous front row sofa seats could be seen unoccupied, raising the question why members could not occupy them.
https://x.com/imcaraj/status/2017464503836021123
The concerns raised by numerous professionals on a dynamic platform such as X does raise concerns for the administration of the Institute, pivoting conversation from the central point of global collaboration to that of equality and institutional culture.
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