Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala on Wednesday expelled his elder son Ajay Singh Chautala from the primary membership of the party for “anti-party activities”. INLD Haryana chief Ashok Arora, accompanied by Ajay Chautala’s younger brother Abhay Chautala, made the announcement at a press conference in Chandigarh, The Indian Express reported.

Both Om Prakash Chautala and Ajay Chautala were convicted in 2013 in a teachers’ recruitment scam and are serving 10 years in prison. While Om Prakash Chautala is lodged in Tihar Jail, Ajay Chautala is currently out on parole.

On Wednesday, Arora said that Om Prakash Chautala had asked him in a letter on November 12 to expel Ajay Chautala from the party as he had called a meeting of the executive committee of the INLD on November 17 in violation of the party’s constitution. Abhay Chautala has also called a parallel meeting of party office bearers, MLAs and former MLAs on the same day.

“Have you ever heard Ajay Chautala or any of his family members uttering a single word against opponents Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in recent weeks?” Abhay Chautala asked at the press conference, PTI reported. “Their aim is not to oust the BJP or the Congress from power, but they are playing into their hands which want to weaken and break the Indian National Lok Dal. But let me tell you every time an attempt has been made to weaken the party, it has emerged stronger.”

Abhay Chautala said that his brother had accused him of weakening the party. “I was openly called Duryodhana and Jaichand by my elder brother and his family it has caused me a great pain,” he added.

Abhay Chautala said he had never wanted to become Haryana chief minister, but came to the forefront after Om Prakash Chautala and Ajay Chautala were imprisoned. “My sole aim is to keep the BJP and the Congress out of power,” he claimed. Abhay Chautala added that his brother had told his supporters in Karnal recently that they should choose between the two brothers.

Two weeks ago, the party had expelled Ajay Chautala’s sons Dushyant Chautala and his brother Digvijay Chautala. On Wednesday, Digvijay Chautala claimed that his father’s expulsion was a conspiracy and that the expulsion letter was forged, IANS reported.