Ajay Chautala hits out at his detractors in the party

Pitted against his younger brother Abhay Chautala in a power struggle within the INLD, its secretary general Ajay Chautala Tuesday hit out at his detractors for dubbing a party meet, convened by him, as "unconstitutional".

Ajay Chautala wrote Monday a letter inviting the INLD's sitting and former MPs and MLAs, besides other office bearers for a state executive meet in Jind on November 17.

Reacting to Ajay Chautala's plans to convene the meet, Indian National Lok Dal spokesperson Praveen Attrey has questioned his authority to call it.

As per the party constitution, only national president (Om Prakash Chautala) or state president (Ashok Arora) or someone authorised by them has the right to call a meeting of the state executive," he said.

Ajay Chautala, however, has not been authorised to calling a party meeting and therefore, it is unconstitutional, he added.

INLD MP Charanjit Singh Rori too has decided to stay away from the November 17 meeting, describing it as unauthorised".

The objections to Ajay Chautala's move to convene the meeting surfaced amid a festering family feud, which saw two of his sons - Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and younger one Digvijay Chautala being "expelled" from the INLD on November 2 by an order they have refused to accept.

Ajay Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail term along with his father and former Chief Minister O P Chautala in a teachers' recruitment scam in the state, is currently out on a two-week parole. Ajay has been critical of the action against his sons.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of a meeting with his supporters in Sonipat, Ajay Chautala said, "Party's supremo is its president, but even he too does not issue letters. On his directions, office secretary issues such letters."
His son Digvijay Chautala, who was in Sirsa Tuesday, too hit out at INLD spokesperson Attrey and asked, "Will a person who has been in party for one or two years or someone (Ajay Chautala) who has given 40 years of his life to it, decide who has the right to summon a meeting?
Asked about party MP Rori decision to stay away from the November 17 meeting, he said, "When Rori says he will not attend the meeting, it becomes clear at whose behest he is saying so."