Ajay Chautala calls Haryana CM Saini a ‘dummy’ at Chanot protest site

Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) national president Ajay Singh Chautala on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) launched a sharp attack on Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, calling him a “dummy” and alleging that the State government was being run from Delhi by Union Minister Manohar Lal through Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar.

Mr. Chautala made the remarks while addressing villagers in Chanot village of Hansi, where residents have been protesting over drinking water shortages for several weeks.

“This CM is a dummy. He even got the ‘T’ connection fixed once at your request. But the real CM, [Manohar Lal Khattar], is sitting in Delhi and his government is run by [Rajesh] Khullar,” Mr. Chautala said. “This is a Khattar-Khullar government. He [Nayab Saini] is just a stamp,” he added.

Extending support to the villagers’ demand for drinking water, Mr. Chautala said the people of Chanot had been struggling for a long time for a drinking water connection, yet the BJP government had remained adamant instead of acceding to their demand. He said a government elected by the people should enact laws in the public interest rather than using the absence of a law as an excuse.

“It is time for change. There is a need to bring the change. People bring the change. Change these dummy people. I have said this several times, those who are sitting in power will have to be chased down and beaten on the road, only then will they leave us alone. And for this we need to unite,” Mr. Chautala said, adding that the villagers in Chanot had remained united in their agitation and “for sure the result will be in your favour”.

Weeks-long protests and indefinite hunger strikes have been underway in Chanot village over acute drinking water shortages. Tensions peaked in May 2026 when villagers demanded a “T-connection” from the Bhakra pipeline passing through the village to supply drinking water. Protesters installed an unauthorised connection last month, which police and district administration officials dismantled late at night. The action triggered clashes, a lathi charge and the use of tear gas.

The State government has maintained that the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) pipeline cannot supply water to the village without affecting pressure in Hansi town. It has proposed an 8-km pipeline from Rajli Head under the Jal Jeevan Mission exclusively for Chanot, but villagers have expressed apprehension over delays. The issue has since acquired a political dimension, with senior leaders, including Congress MP Deepender Hooda and Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala, visiting the village to extend support to the protesters.