Ranjit Chautala rebukes Abhay, asks him to uphold Devi Lal's legacy

Former minister Ranjit Singh Chautala on Thursday responded sharply to remarks by INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala, urging him to respect family values and political legacy instead of using harsh language.

Speaking to the media, Ranjit Singh, son of the late Deputy PM, Devi Lal, said, “Devi Lal always said ‘Lokraj, Loklaj’. Public sentiment matters most. The talk about the Chautala family reuniting wasn’t just my opinion. People across constituencies, like Narnaul, were discussing it.”

He clarified that while a family reunion may be difficult, dismissing public sentiment was unwise. “We've tried, but it's tough. Still, a wise person knows not to throw stones in the mud,” he said.

Ranjit Singh, the eldest member of the Chautala family, criticised Abhay, saying, “If someone cannot respect his uncle or elder brother, what can one expect? People showed their disapproval in the Ellenabad bypoll by defeating him by 15,000 votes.”

He pointed to the 1990 Meham violence as a turning point that led to Devi Lal’s dismissal from the Union government. “The Meham incident caused the fall of both Haryana and Central governments. Leaders like VP Singh, Lalu Yadav, and Mulayam Singh forced Devi Lal to step down after Om Prakash Chautala was repeatedly made CM,” he claimed.

Ranjit dismissed Abhay’s accusation that someone “stabbed Devi Lal in the back” as inaccurate. “Who created the Meham crisis? VP Singh asked for Om Prakash’s resignation. When it didn’t happen, even Central ministers resigned. That was the real cause.”

Accusing Abhay of arrogance and indiscipline, Ranjit said, “Before addressing people, he should learn basic decency. His rude behaviour is what turned people against him. During the Meham-Gohana incident, people followed Dushyant Chautala, and not him.” He praised Ajay Chautala as “sincere and cultured”, while accusing Abhay of damaging Devi Lal’s legacy. “Whether he sees me as a leader or not doesn’t matter. But he’s destroying the history that Devi Lal built.”