After being released from Delhi’s Tihar jail earlier this month in connection with a teachers’ recruitment scam, former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Om Prakash Chautala has begun the onerous task of reviving his beleaguered political outfit.
Chautala on Tuesday reached Palwal to extend his support to the farmers protesting against the three central farm laws. This was his first meeting with the protesting farmers in the state and was seen as the party’s attempt to facilitate re-bonding of party sympathisers and supporters.
Addressing the farmers, Chautala said that this fight is not only of farmers and laborers but it is the fight of the entire nation.
This farmers’ movement is because of three wrong agricultural laws and people from all over the country are associated with this movement, he said.
Slamming the BJP Government, Chautala said that the BJP is working to divide the people in the name of caste and religion.
I will go to every village of the state and meet every person, he added. Assuring jobs to all educated youth, the INLD chief said that he was falsely convicted in teachers’ recruitment scam and was sentenced to ten years jail.
I was punished for giving jobs to 3200 children but this time if the INLD Government is formed in the state, every educated child will be given jobs, even if I am hanged for this, Chautala further said.
The INLD will not do politics of votes and will give jobs to youth of the state according to their merit, whether they vote for us or not, he added.
Notably, the 86-year-old INLD supremo was formally released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail on July 2. He was serving a ten-year term in connection with a teachers recruitment scam.
In his absence, the INLD was divided and his elder son Ajay Chautala had formed a separate political outfit-Jannayak Janata Party, which is an alliance partner of ruling BJP Government in Haryana.
The INLD is presently unrepresented in the Haryana Assembly after the lone sitting member and Chautala’s younger son, Abhay Chautala had resigned in the wake of farmers’ protests.
Barring Abhay Chautala, who had retained Ellenabad seat in Sirsa district, over 80 candidates of the INLD had to bite the dust in 2019 Haryana Assembly polls. Abhay had resigned earlier this year from the assembly seat.
With senior Chautala out of jail, the INLD is now looking to retain Ellenabad seat, which is known as a stronghold of the INLD. The party has planned to contest the bypoll on farmers’ issues.
Abhay Chautala had earlier announced that the INLD chief will be party’s candidate for Ellenabad bypoll, if there is no legal hurdle.