INLD feud: Ajay convenes executive meet on Nov 17

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12

A day after Chautala brothers met in Delhi in a bid to diffuse family feud, the factions led by Ajay Chautala and his younger brother Abhay Chautala were seen exchanging barbs again over a letter written by the former to party functionaries on Monday.

Ajay wrote letters to all party MLAs, MPs, former MLAs and MPs and state executive members, inviting them for a meeting in Jind on November 17.

Letters have also been sent to all district presidents, halqa (constituency) presidents, city unit presidents and state conveners and district presidents of various cells, requesting them to be present in the meeting on November 17.

Ajay’s letters assume significance in the light of his statements in various districts in the past seven days that he would make an important announcement at Jind on November 17 and also that people would come to know as to whom the INLD actually belongs to.

Ajay, who is out on 14-day furlough from Tihar Jail since November 5, is likely to take some decisive steps in Jind meeting before he returns to prison where he is serving 10-year sentence in JBT recruitment case.

Notably, Ajay is the secretary general of the state unit of the INLD and sources close to him claimed that he had every right to convene a meeting of the party functionaries.

“He reserved the power to take disciplinary action against those who fail to attend the meeting despite notice,” the sources said.

The Tribune has learnt that during Jind meeting Ajay would not only try to pass resolutions revoking expulsion of his sons Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala from the party, but is likely to take “disciplinary action” against those close to Abhay.

Praveen Attrey, a spokesperson for the INLD who is considered close to Leader of Opposition Abhay, however, termed the meeting convened by Ajay as “illegal and unconstitutional”.

“As per constitution of the INLD, only Om Prakash Chautala who is national president of the party or Ashok Arora, state president of the party, or any person authorised by them for this purpose can convene such meeting,” said Attrey.

Ever since Ajay’s sons — Hisar MP Dushyant and INSO convener Digvijay — were first suspended on October 10 and then expelled from the INLD on November 3, the party has been witnessing an unprecedented feud in the Chautala clan.