Abhay Singh Chautala addresses Jan Adhikar Yatra Saturday. (Express photo)Days after split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala Saturday began his ‘Jan Adhikar Yatra’ from Kurukshetra giving “a clarion call to the people of Haryana to launch a decisive struggle to secure justice”.
He announced that the conclusion of this phase of the “struggle” in in Kurukshetra will be marked by the presence of Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala on February 17 when he will announce further course of action during a rally.
The INLD’s split faction, led by his elder brother Ajay Chautala, will hold a rally in Jind town of Haryana on December 9 to announce a new party.
Abhay reminded that “in the past the Congress had betrayed the cause of the state, sold out its interests in order to appease Punjab when in 1985 it discriminated against Haryana by entering into Rajiv-Longowal Accord thereby forcing late Jana Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal to launch ‘Nyay Yudh’”. “History today is again being repeated. Now, when all legal hurdles have been removed in giving Haryana its share of river water through SYL canal, the BJP governments at the Centre and state are finding new excuses to deprive the farmers of their legitimate rights,” he said.
Reiterating that the SYL canal is vital to the existence and sustenance of Haryana, Abhay said in its absence, the state was facing a catastrophic future with parched land as it is losing groundwater too in the absence of river waters.
The ‘Jan Adhikar Yatra’ will also pay “special attention to the rights of the youth of the state”.
Emphasising that right to employment is integral to human dignity, Abhay said that the INLD was committed to its promise to the youth of providing jobs and unemployment allowance. In addition, “it will give 15 per cent additional marks to the rural youth in tests conducted for employment”.
