Om Prakash Chautala, president of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and former chief minister of Haryana, passed away at the age of 89 in Gurgaon on Friday. Minister and son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.
early life
Chautala was born on January 1, 1935, into a family deeply rooted in Indian politics. His father, Chaudhary Devi Lal, is a former deputy prime minister of India and a staunch advocate of farmers’ rights. This political legacy gave Chautala a solid foundation that would eventually lead to him succeeding his father as a key figure in Haryana regional politics.
political career
Om Prakash Chautala became Chief Minister on December 2, 1989. Following political changes, Chautala was re-elected as chief minister on July 12, 1990, but his second term lasted only until July 17, 1990.
In 1991, Chautala again served as the chief minister from March 22 to April 6, 1991.
During this period, he focused on improving Haryana’s agriculture and rural infrastructure, although allegations of corruption and mismanagement also marred his tenure.
“Power corrupts”
The Chautala couple were found guilty of illegally recruiting more than 3,000 unqualified teachers using forged documents. The Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe based on a writ filed by former director of primary education and 1989-batch IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar.
In June 2008, OP Chautala and 53 others were accused of illegally appointing 3,206 junior basic teachers in Haryana between 1999 and 2000. In January 2013, a New Delhi court sentenced Chautala and his son Ajay Singh Chautala to ten years in prison under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chautala was released from Tihar Jail on July 2, 2021, after serving 10 years in prison. His early release was reportedly due to the Delhi government’s decision to reduce the prison population due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Power corrupts and Om Prakash Chautala was sentenced to ten years in jail.
On May 27, 2022, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sentenced Chautala to four years in prison in a disproportionate assets case at the age of 16, making him the oldest inmate of Delhi’s Tihar Jail at the age of 87. .
(Based on input from each agency)