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Bhajan Lal’s peace overtures
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 8
Barely a week after a sulking Bhajan Lal put in his papers as Haryana Congress chief, he now appears to be in a mood for reconciliation. The former HPCC president today called up AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi, incharge of Haryana, and sought to make peace with the party leadership which had lost no time in accepting his resignation.

AICC sources said Mr Bhajan Lal gave the distinct impression that he was in no mood to carry forward his battle and was looking for an honourable settlement.

The Haryana strongman is learnt to have made a case for his reinstatement as HPCC president and also assured the party that his son, Lok Sabha MP Kuldeep Bishnoi, would be restrained from making any public statements against the party.

Mr Bishnoi, who had publicly attacked the Haryana government on several occasions, was issued a show-cause notice by the AICC for his anti-party activities last month. The AICC, however, did not pursue the matter further after Mr Bhajan Lal pleaded his case and promised that he will be persuaded not to talk out of turn. However, Mr Bhajan Lal’s assurances have had little impact as Mr Bishnoi again lashed out at the Hooda government for its anti-policies at a public meeting at Bhiwani today.

After pleading his son’s case, Mr Bhajan Lal himself sent in his resignation as HPCC president after his supporters found no place in the revamped HPCC. He wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressing his desire to step down but when there was no word from the AICC, Mr Bhajan Lal circulated an unsigned letter to the media stating that he was resigning as HPCC president.

His resignation was accepted within two days as the Congress leadership took strong exception to the manner in which Mr Bhajan Lal leaked his letter to the media.

The AICC has consistently maintained that Mr Bhajan Lal had no reason to sulk as the party had gone out of its way to accommodate him. His elder son Chander Mohan was appointed deputy chief minister while his other son is a Lok Sabha MP. Mr Bhajan Lal himself was retained as HPCC president even though he defied party discipline when he boycotted the legislature party meeting last year to elect the chief minister.