JPP, AAP conspiring against Om Prakash Chautala: Surjewala

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala here on Monday alleged that newly-found Jannayak Janata Party (JPP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have come together to "conspire" against former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.

Surjewala, who is contesting the ongoing Jind by-poll, offered prayers at Somnath Temple.

Speaking to ANI, Surjewala said: "The two conspirators- the JPP and (Delhi's Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal had come together only to ensure that Digvijay Chautala and Dushyant Chautala's 86-year-old ailing grandfather Om Prakash Chautala was sent to Tihar jail in the middle of the night."

Surjewala was echoing what Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) had said a few days back in the wake of the cancellation of the party supremo's parole - for which INLD has demanded a probe.

When asked about his views on Haryana's Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's comment on him being an outsider, Surjewala said: "I think it is an obnoxious claim made by people who neither understand Jind nor Haryana's culture. Khattar who is making such claims belongs to Rohtak, why does he contest from Karnal."

He further accused the JPP and Khattar-led government of divisive politics. "The two 'Chautala Gangs' and Khattar Sahab proceeded on the division of caste and polarisation."

On the prospect on winning the by-poll, Surjewala said: "Congress party is the only party who has a vision for Jind, a vision for new development and a vision for the creation of infrastructure."

"Jind will win this election, people will win if Congress wins," he added.

People of Jind have chosen the development model over the division of caste and over the politics of hate and "rabid" division based on caste and religion, he further said.

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Jannayak Janta Party's (JPP) candidate for Jind by-poll, Digvijay Chautala, said, "We are confident. People will see a positive change in politics. Politics that will rise above religion, caste and creed."

Along with Surjewala, the late Hari Chand Middha's son and ruling Bhartiya Janata Party's candidate Krishan Middha and INLD's Umed Singh Redhu are also in the fray.

Jind Assembly constituency was represented by Hari Chand Middha, a candidate from the INLD. The seat went vacant after Middha passed away due to illness on August 26.