Chandigarh: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala on Friday expelled his two grandsons from the party for ‘indiscipline’, widening a simmering rift within the family.
The action comes days after Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and youth leader Digvijay Chautala, both sons of Chautala's elder son Ajay Chautala, were suspended from the party.
"INLD MP Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala have been expelled from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect," a statement quoting Om Prakash Chautala said. Dushyant has also been removed as the leader of INLD’s parliamentary board.
Chautala said it was not an easy decision as both are members of his immediate family. But all his life he has followed the ideals of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal for whom the party was always bigger than any family member, the INLD chief said.
Making a choice between the party and members of his family, Chautala said he decided to concur with the conclusions of the disciplinary committee.
Both Dushyant and Digvijay were accused of "indiscipline, hooliganism and spreading disaffection" after a ruckus at a rally in Gohana on October 7 to mark Devi Lal's birth anniversary.
Fissures in the family became evident when both the brothers opened up a front against their uncle and Leader of Opposition in Haryana, Abhay Chautala. During the Gohana rally, Dushayant and Digvijay’s supporters raised slogans in their support and even interrupted Abhay Chautala and his father when they rose to speak.
Chautala told his party that he did not need any evidence from outside as he was a witness to the unruly scenes in Gohana. But he still referred the matter to the committee which concluded that the two are "guilty" as charged, the statement said.
Om Prakash Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail sentence in a teacher recruitment scam along with his elder son Ajay Chautala, attended the rally while on parole.
On being contacted, Digvijay claimed ignorance about the party's decision and said he had not received any official communication on the matter. "I will be able to give a reaction once I receive the communication officially," he said over the phone.
Dabwali MLA and the mother of the two expelled leaders, Naina Chautala on Thursday alleged a conspiracy to throw her husband and their family out of the party.
(With PTI inputs)
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