Ruckus at Gohana rally: Chautala removes Dushyant’s supporters from key party posts

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11

Four days after a section of workers created ruckus at INLD’s Gohana rally, party supremo Om Prakash Chautala removed some prominent leaders from key party positions in the organisational restructure announced on Thursday.

Chautala also dissolved the youth wing of INLD and the national and state units of the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) saying both these wings of the party were found to be lacking in discipline and commitment to the ideals of the party.

Dushyant’s younger brother Digvijay Singh Chautala was national president of the INSO, while ardent supporter Pradeep Deswal was state president of the students’ body.

When contacted, Digvijay maintained that only Ajay Singh Chautala, who is the founder member of the INSO, would dissolve the organisation and he had no communication with regard to the dissolution from him.

Both Dushyant and Digvijay are sons of Ajay Singh, who is presently serving a jail term in the JBT teachers’ scam along with his father.

The development is being linked with ongoing “war of succession” within the INLD between Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and his nephew Dushyant Chautala, MP from Hisar.

According to political observers, in today’s changes Abhay Singh has clearly emerged as the one who Chautala wants to entrust with the task of leading the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Among those who lose their positions are district presidents of Hisar and Charkhi Dadri, Naresh Dwarka and Rajendra Litani, respectively, both supporters of Dushyant Chautala.

A press release issued by the INLD said that “while the youth wing failed to play its role during the October 7 Gohana rally, the INSO was found indulging in blatant anti-party activities. It is also accused of entering into a conspiracy with anti-party forces to disrupt the above said rally and smear the name of the INLD”.

Dushyant’s supporters had allegedly created ruckus at Gohana rally on Sunday, as a section of the crowd raised slogans in favour of Hisar MP and continued hooting during Abhay Singh’s speech.

They did not stop sloganeering even during Chautala’s address and the party patriarch had to warn from the stage that he would show all those creating ruckus the door.

Among the changes announced today, Satbir Sisaye has replaced Rajendra Litani as president of the Hisar unit while Vijay Panchgama replaced Naresh Dwarka in Dadri.

Nishan Singh, former MLA from Tohana, has been removed from the post of convener of the Kisan cell. He has been replaced by Balbir Singh.

While Dhara Singh has been made state in-charge of the Karamchari cell, Dr. K.C. Kajal has been appointed convener of newly created Medical cell.   

Chautala also announced the new office-bearers of the national body. While Chautala himself remains the national president, the vice-presidents are Anant Ram Tanwar, Sadhu Ram Chaudhary, Narayan Parsad Aggarwal, Kumari Phoolwati, Ashwani Dutta and Ram Bhagat Gupta.

While RS Chaudhary will be secretary-general of the party, Ramesh Garg, Brij Sharma and Capt. Inder Singh will be the general secretaries.

The new parliamentary board will have Chautala as the Chairman and Ashok Arora, B.D. Dhalia, Anju Singh and Kamal Nagpal as its members.