Bansi Lal's family feud reaches assembly

Chandigarh, Sep 18: The family feud of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal over his inheritance reached the state assembly today even as the House was adjourned without transacting any business as a mark of respect to the memory of the late leader on the first day of the Monsoon session.

Mr Bansi Lal's daughter-in-law and state Tourism Minister Kiran Chowdhury, who is widow of his younger son Surender Singh, remembered the late leader as an advocate of women empowerment and reminded the house that he chose her daughter Shruti for the 'Pagri rasam' after Surender's death despite opposition from various people.

Ms Choudhury also demanded that her late husband, who was state Irrigation Minister and was killed in a helicopter crash last year, be conferred with 'Bharat Ratna' by the Centre and a resolution be passed in this regard by the House in the current session.

On the other hand when Mr Ranbir Singh Mahendra, younger son of Mr Bansi Lal and former BCCI chief, rose to speak on the obituary references he drew the attention of the members to the alleged ''house arrest'' his mother had been subjected to at her Bhiwani residence which had been surrounded by the policemen.

While the late leader's widow Vidya Devi is living on the ground floor of his Bhiwani house, the first floor is occupied by Ms Kiran Choudhury and her daughter Shruti.

Mr Mahendra had recently made allegations that Shruti and Ms Chaudhury were responsible for the police presence outside the family house.

Earlier, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda described Mr Bansi Lal as the 'architect of modern Haryana' who was responsible for the all-round development of the state during his eleven-year Chief Ministership spread over four terms from 1968 to 1999.

He also called for adjournment of the assembly on the opening day of the session without transacting any business immediately after the obituary references as a mark of respect to the late leader who died on March 28 this year. Later the speaker adjourned the House as members of all parties supported the Chief Minister's motion.

The family feud of the Bansi Lal clan has been making headlines ever since his death in March but the issue took a new turn today with the two parties pressing their claims, although obliquely, on the the floor of the house. After Mr Bansi lal's death, Mr Ranbir Mahendra had been alleging that his mother was being kept in ''house arrest'' by the police at the behest of Shruti and her mother Kiran Choudhury.

The former BCCI chief had also demanded that the house be made a memorial to keep his father's memory alive for the posterity.

But Shruti had expressed reservations to the proposal, saying Mr Mahendra, his sister and brother-in-law all had inherited property in Bhiwani and they should first vacate their houses for the memorial before telling her to do so.

Meanwhile, leaders of all parties, including Dr Sushil Indora of the opposition Indian National Lok Dal, paid rich tributes to Mr Bansi Lal on the floor of the house.

Among others who praised the contribution of the late leader towards the all-round development of Haryana were Agriculture Minister H S Chatha, Education Minister Phool Chand Mullana, former state ministers S S Surjewala and Karan Singh Dalal.

Mr Hooda's father Ranbir Singh Chaudhury, a freedom fighter and the former member of the Constituent Assembly of India, was also seen in the visitors gallery and his presence was mentioned by Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadian.

UNI