Golagarh (Bhiwani), September 10
A mahapanchayat of three khaps of the Tosham Assembly segment representing 108 villages today unanimously declared that Tourism Minister Kiran Chaudhary and her daughter be allowed to stay in the Bhiwani residence of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal.
The mahapanchayat overruled Bansi Lal’s eldest son Ranbir Singh Mahendra’s decision to convert the Bhiwani house into a memorial by setting up a trust. Mr Mahendra, who is Congress legislator from Mundhal Assembly constituency, is the only surviving son of Bansi Lal. He has been insisting on a memorial as stated in his father’s will.
Ms Kiran Chaudhary is the widow of Bansi Lal’s younger son Surinder Singh, who was Agriculture Minister of Haryana when he died in a chopper crash last year.
The mahapanchayat had been called after a five-member panel set up to resolve the dispute over the property met the two and then directed a few days ago that Ms Chaudhary had “every right to stay in the portion occupied by her late husband”. However, Mr Mahendra ignored the verdict, necessitating the summoning of the mahapanchayat.
When the mahapanchayat got underway, a group of 15 men tried to create a ruckus over the issue of who would chair it. But when their efforts to get the meeting postponed failed, they left the venue.
About 12 representatives of the three khaps, Amran, Tosham and Tehi, gave their views on the issue. All of them pleaded that Ms Chaudhary and her daughter be allowed to stay in the house. Pointing out that Ms Chaudhary’s daughter Shruti Chaudhary had been anointed her father’s successor, they said any provision in the late Chief Minister’s will after that was irrelevant.
Thereafter, Mr Anant Ram of Tehi khap moved a resolution, saying that Ms Chaudhary be allowed to stay on the premises where her late husband normally resided. It also stated that any dispute on any property other than the Bhiwani house should be sorted by the family itself.
The mahapanchayat also decided that if any of the disputing parties refused to abide by the panchayat decision within seven days, the mahapanchayat would meet again to determine the punishment.
