Chandigarh: Senior Punjab Congress leaders have distanced themselves from remarks attributed to Haryana MP Deepender Singh Hooda following the death of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
Jalandhar MP and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi strongly criticised the remarks in a post and video shared on X. Channi described Kumar as responsible for the killings of Sikhs and said that calling him a “role model” was unacceptable.
Channi said the issue should not be viewed only through the Sikh community’s perspective, arguing that the 1984 violence was a tragedy that affected humanity as a whole. He questioned how the Sikh community, Punjabis and the country could forgive Kumar.
Raja Warring calls remarks Hooda’s personal view
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said Hooda’s comments could be considered his personal opinion.
Warring described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a major tragedy whose wounds remain fresh among affected families. He said the Congress had continued to stand with families affected by the violence.
AAP demands action against Hooda
AAP Punjab leader and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also attacked the Congress over the controversy. He said describing a person linked to the 1984 violence as a “role model” could deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.
Dhaliwal demanded that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge, take action against Hooda and sought his expulsion from the party.
Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, died in prison on Thursday at the age of 80 while serving his sentence.
