Family feud escalates, O P Chautala expels son Ajay from party

The ongoing feud within the Chautala family escalated with jailed INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala expelling his elder son Ajay Singh from the primary membership of the party for alleged anti-party activities.

The decision was taken on Monday and announced at a press conference here on Wednesday called by Ajay's younger brother and Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala.

Ajay Singh (57), 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. He was also removed as the secretary general of the party's state unit.

Two weeks ago, the INLD chief had expelled from the party Ajay Singh Chautala's two sons, Hisar MP Dushyant and his brother Digvijay, exposing the feud to public view.

Though Ajay Singh's wife and INLD MLA Naina Chautala too has been vocal against her detractors within the party after action against her sons, she has been spared from any disciplinary action.

At the press conference here Wednesday, 55-year-old Abhay Singh Chautala, for the first time, launched an attack on his elder brother and accused him of playing in the hands of the BJP and the Congress to weaken the INLD.

Abhay said that he had never harboured any ambition to become a chief minister, but those who try to weaken the party for furthering their personal ambitions will face action.

He warned that any MLA, MP or INLD office bearers who attend a meeting called by his elder brother in Jind on Saturday will face action.

Reacting to the expulsion, Abhay Singh Chautala said that he was not aware on what charge such such an action was taken, while his son Digvijay claimed that Om Prakash Chautala "was being kept in the dark and he must not be even knowing about this (expulsion)."
The INLD state unit president claimed that the meeting called by Ajay Singh in Jind is in violation of the party constitution because such a meeting cannot be convened without approval of the party president."