Khattar pays tribute to Devi Lal on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar honoured former Deputy PM Chaudhary Devi Lal on his birth anniversary, citing his unparalleled role in building modern Haryana and championing farmers and backward classes.
Key Takeaways
Manohar Lal Khattar paid tribute to Chaudhary Devi Lal on his birth anniversary on 25 September 2026 .
Devi Lal served as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1991 and as Haryana Chief Minister in two tenures: 1977–1979 and 1987–1990 .
He was widely recognised as a champion of farmers and backward classes in northern India.
Khattar, himself a former Haryana Chief Minister, drew a line of continuity between Devi Lal's legacy and present-day Haryana governance.
Such tributes reflect a broader pattern of cross-party acknowledgement of pre-1990s non-Congress icons in northern Indian states.
A farmer's champion who rose to become India's Deputy Prime Minister, Chaudhary Devi Lal is remembered on his birth anniversary today, 25 September 2026, with Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar leading the tributes from the BJP's senior ranks.
Khattar, himself a former Chief Minister of Haryana, offered what he called a heartfelt salute — 'bhavpurn naman' — to the late leader, describing him as a 'true well-wisher of farmers and the deprived sections of society' and honouring his 'invaluable and unparalleled contribution to the building of modern Haryana.'
The man who shaped Haryana's farming politics
Devi Lal served as Chief Minister of Haryana across two tenures — 1977 to 1979 and 1987 to 1990 — and subsequently as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1991 under the Janata Dal government. His political identity was built almost entirely around land reforms and the welfare of Jat and agrarian communities, a legacy that continued to shape state agricultural policy long after his tenures ended.
In the decades since, he has been canonised across party lines in northern India as a voice for those who tilled the land — a standing that makes his birth anniversary a recurring moment of political affirmation for leaders with roots in Haryana's rural belt.
Why this tribute carries weight from Khattar
Khattar is not a neutral observer. As a former Haryana Chief Minister himself, his homage draws a direct line between Devi Lal's legacy of farmer-centric governance and the BJP's own claims to that tradition in the state. The tribute is also a reminder of how pre-1990s non-Congress figures — Devi Lal chief among them — have become shared political inheritance across the ideological spectrum in northern India, acknowledged by rivals and successors alike.
State-level commemoration events are customary on this date, and Haryana's political calendar often uses the anniversary to frame ongoing rural welfare messaging.
Point of View
His homage to Devi Lal signals the BJP's ongoing effort to claim the legacy of agrarian populism in a state where farmer sentiment remains electorally decisive. Devi Lal's cross-party reverence makes such acknowledgements low-risk and high-yield — a ritual that reinforces regional roots without inviting controversy. The timing also keeps Haryana's rural constituency visible at a national level, a calculation that rarely goes unnoticed ahead of any state-level political cycle.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Chaudhary Devi Lal?
Chaudhary Devi Lal was a veteran Indian politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1991 and as Chief Minister of Haryana twice — from 1977 to 1979 and from 1987 to 1990. He was known for championing farmers and backward classes.
When is Devi Lal's birth anniversary?
Chaudhary Devi Lal's birth anniversary falls on 25 September. Tributes are paid annually on this date by political leaders across party lines, particularly in Haryana.
Why did Manohar Lal Khattar pay tribute to Devi Lal?
Khattar, as Union Power Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister, paid tribute to honour Devi Lal's contribution to building modern Haryana and his legacy of farmer-centric governance that continues to influence state politics.
What is Devi Lal's contribution to Haryana?
Devi Lal's tenures as Chief Minister prioritised land reforms and farmer welfare, consolidating the political voice of Jat and agrarian communities in Haryana. His policies shaped subsequent state agricultural initiatives.
Was Devi Lal a BJP leader?
No, Devi Lal was associated with the Janata Dal. However, his legacy as a farmer champion and regional icon is acknowledged across party lines, including by BJP leaders such as Manohar Lal Khattar.
