INLD rift: Abhay Chautala warns against indiscipline, nephew Digvijay remains defiant
Senior Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala warned against indiscipline even as his nephew Digvijay Singh continued to act defiant on Friday, a day after party chief Om Prakash Chautala disbanded the INLD's student and youth wings. Abhay Chautala called Digvijay and Dushyant, sons of his elder brother Ajay Singh Chautala, “our children” even while warning that anyone violating party discipline will face action. The power struggle within the Chautala family came to the fore Thursday when Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala dissolved the party's student and youth wings, headed by Digvijay and Dushyant, respectively. Abhay Singh Chautala is the younger son of Om Prakash Chautala. "There are no differences with Dushyant (and Digvijay), they are our children," Abhay Singh Chautala told reporters in Chandigarh. However, he added, "Discipline is our party's biggest strength. If any person violates it, the party will take action." In New Delhi, Digvijay Singh Chautala repeated his assertion that his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala cannot dissolve the Indian National Students' Organisation (INSO) he headed. "Though the INSO is ideologically affiliated to the INLD, it is a separate entity and a registered body under the Societies Act. Only its founder -- my father Ajay Chautala -- or its national executive can take a decision about its affairs," Digvijay Chautala said. But he maintained that his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala is the INLD chief, even claiming there are “no differences within the family". The dissolution of the two INLD wings followed a ruckus by some youths at a party rally in Gohana on October 7. Abhay Singh Chautala was booed by them. In contrast, there were cheers when his nephew and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala spoke. The Gohana rally was organised to commemorate the 105th birth anniversary of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, Om Prakash Chautala's father. Abhay Singh Chautala said the student and youth wings were asked to ensure the smooth conduct of the rally. "When they failed, Chautala Sahab took the step," he said. "The INSO is a part of our party. Everyone knows it well and they hold all their programmes under the party flag. Chautala Sahab is fully authorised to take any decision in this regard,” he said. Responding to questions on his elder brother and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala being sidelined, Digvijay Singh said he is widely accepted among party workers and people of the state are behind him. At the Chandigarh press conference, his uncle Abhay Singh said he had no knowledge whether Dushyant Chautala had been suspended from the party.PTI
