CM Saini Pays Tribute to Devi Lal on Birth Anniversary
Synopsis
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini honoured Chaudhary Devi Lal — former Deputy Prime Minister and two-time Haryana CM known as Jan Nayak — on his birth anniversary on 25 September 2026, calling his commitment to public welfare a national inspiration.
Key Takeaways
Nayab Singh Saini , Haryana Chief Minister and BJP leader, paid tribute to Chaudhary Devi Lal on his birth anniversary, 25 September 2026 .
Devi Lal served as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and as Haryana CM during 1977–1979 and 1987–1990 .
He is widely known as Jan Nayak (people's leader) for his farmer movements and rural advocacy.
Saini described Devi Lal's thoughts and commitment to public welfare as 'a source of inspiration for all citizens.' Annual tributes from BJP leaders to Devi Lal reflect the enduring weight of the Jat community and agrarian vote in Haryana politics.
On the birth anniversary of one of Haryana's most enduring political figures, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini offered his respects to Chaudhary Devi Lal — the man history remembers as Jan Nayak, the people's leader — on Friday, 25 September 2026.
Saini wrote on X: 'Bharat ke poorv Upapradhanmantri, Haryana ke poorv Mukhyamantri, Jannayak Chaudhary Devi Lal ji ko unki jayanti par koti-koti naman.' — 'Innumerable salutations to former Deputy Prime Minister of India, former Chief Minister of Haryana, Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal on his birth anniversary. His thoughts and his commitment to public welfare remain a source of inspiration for all citizens of the country.'
The man behind the 'Jan Nayak' title
Chaudhary Devi Lal served as Chief Minister of Haryana twice — from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1987 to 1990 — and rose to the national stage as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990. Both tenures as CM were defined by a fierce focus on farmers and rural communities, an agenda that earned him unshakeable loyalty across Haryana's agrarian heartland.
His political identity was inseparable from the land. Through platforms including the Lok Dal, Devi Lal channelled the grievances of rural Haryana into organised political force, and the Jat community in particular has long regarded him as its most consequential modern champion. Decades after his passing, his legacy functions almost as a moral yardstick in state politics.
Why BJP pays homage — and what it signals
There is a layer of political texture worth noting here. Devi Lal built his movement outside the BJP ecosystem, yet leaders across party lines — including the ruling BJP — make a point of honouring him each 25 September. The calculus is straightforward: in a state where farming households and the Jat vote remain decisive, acknowledging Devi Lal is less a courtesy and more a statement of intent toward rural voters.
For CM Saini, the tribute also reinforces the continuity of Haryana's farmer-first political language — a grammar first written, many would argue, by the Jan Nayak himself. The ideas Devi Lal championed in those late-1970s and late-1980s terms remain live reference points in any serious conversation about rural welfare in the state.
Point of View
Where the memory of the Jan Nayak functions as common ground across the political spectrum. For Saini, framing Devi Lal's rural-welfare ethos as a live inspiration subtly positions the current BJP government as heir to that tradition — a claim that will be tested in every farm-policy decision the administration makes. The ritual of the 25 September tribute, observed by leaders of all colours, also illustrates how founding figures of regional politics can transcend their own parties to become permanent fixtures of a state's civic identity.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Chaudhary Devi Lal?
Chaudhary Devi Lal was a prominent Indian politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and twice as Chief Minister of Haryana — from 1977 to 1979 and 1987 to 1990. Known as 'Jan Nayak,' he was a leading voice for farmers and rural communities.
When is Devi Lal's birth anniversary?
Chaudhary Devi Lal's birth anniversary falls on 25 September every year and is widely observed across Haryana with tributes from political leaders of all parties.
Why did CM Nayab Singh Saini pay tribute to Devi Lal?
Saini, as Haryana Chief Minister, honoured Devi Lal on his birth anniversary recognising his legacy as a champion of farmers and rural welfare whose ideas continue to influence Haryana's politics.
What does 'Jan Nayak' mean and why is it associated with Devi Lal?
'Jan Nayak' means 'people's leader' in Hindi. The title is associated with Chaudhary Devi Lal because of his sustained advocacy for farmers, rural communities, and the Jat community in Haryana over several decades of political life.
Why do BJP leaders honour Devi Lal despite his different political background?
Devi Lal built his political career largely through parties outside the BJP, yet leaders across parties honour him because his agrarian legacy and connection with the Jat and farming communities remain a powerful force in Haryana's electoral politics.
