Congress MP Deepender Hooda (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Deepender Hooda on Sunday denied calling Sajjan Kumar a “role model” following the ex-Congress leader’s death on August 20.Kumar was serving two life sentences in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and died at the age of 80.When reporters asked Hooda if he had called Kumar a “role model,” he replied, “I did not use the words, nor did I harbour any such sentiment. These words are being put in my mouth by those who wish to play politics by undermining the spirit of brotherhood.”“As for the Sikh community, people know that we have always stood by them and supported them in every way. We share a centuries-old bond of brotherhood with Sikhs; our family has been connected with them through both joys and sorrows, and we have stood by them in every struggle,” he added.Hooda, son of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, described the anti-Sikh riots as a “grave injustice” and demanded strict punishment for the guilty.“A grave injustice took place; the guilty must face strict punishment; the Sikh community deserves justice — this has been our consistent stance. We stand fully with the Sikh community,” he said.Condoling Kumar’s demise, Hooda had termed it a “loss to the country’s political landscape”, and praised the former Lok Sabha MP for his “connect with people and contribution to Delhi’s development”.The comments drew sharp reactions, particularly in poll-bound Punjab, where the SAD, BJP and AAP hit out at the Congress over its “anti-Sikh mindset”. Leaders from his own party also condemned the remarks.Congress leader and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi described Kumar as a “murderer of Sikhs” and a “traitor”.“He conspired to have Sikhs killed… Far from being a role model, even uttering his name is a sin. If such people become role models, the country will be destroyed,” Channi said.Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also sought to distance the state unit from Hooda’s statement, saying it may have reflected the Rohtak MP’s “personal view”.

AAP MLA from Punjab Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stated that the wounds of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre were still alive in the hearts of Sikhs, calling Kumar’s remarks deeply hurtful to the community.“If a senior Congress leader calls Sajjan Kumar his role model, it raises serious questions about the mindset and politics of the party,” Dhaliwal remarked.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon also said the wounds of the victim families remained unhealed.“At such a sensitive time, describing a key convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a role model was a condemnable attempt to rub salt on the wounds of the victim families and reopen their painful memories,” Dhillon said.(With PTI inputs)