Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala addressed nearly a dozen election rallies in Haryana on Friday, despite a High Court notice to him on a petition alleging he was misusing the terms of his bail. Chautala, who is supposed to be getting treatment in hospital, travelled around the Uchana Kalan region in a bus plastered with election posters, campaigning for candidates of his party. His grandson, Dushyant Chautala, is the INLD candidate for the Uchana Kalan seat, from where Chautala himself was elected in 2009. Chautala is barred from contesting elections following his conviction in the Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers recruitment scam, and has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail since January 2013. He has been given bail on health grounds until October 16. On September 25, Chautala addressed a massive public rally in Jind to mark the 100th birth anniversary of INLD founder Chaudhary Devi Lal, following which a petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of his bail. On October 1, the court asked both CBI — which investigated the scam, in which over 3,000 teachers were illegally appointed in 1999-2000 — and Chautala seeking their responses. "Why has CBI not taken note of all this (election campaign)? CBI does not seem to be aggrieved by this,” the HC had observed. Chautala began his campaign from Shahpur village in Jind district on Friday, where a large crowd greeted him by raising INLD slogans at the bus stand. He told villagers, “You know how I am feeling. I have been away from you for about 20 months. I came here because I wanted to see you all. Despite being locked up in Tihar jail, I worry about you. That is why I have sent Dushyant to you. I am sure that you will ensure his victory.” Besides Shahpur and Uchana Kalan, Chautala addressed rallies in Rajkhera, Khapar, Baroda, Jheel, Budayan, Surbura, Kabracha, Taarkhan, Uchana Mandi and some other villages.
