The controversy over Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda’s condolence message following the death of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar took a new turn on Monday, with Congress MP from Jind, Satpal Brahmachari, coming out in support of Hooda and launching an attack on his party colleague and former Haryana assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma.
Hooda’s remarks triggered a political backlash, with leaders across Punjab and Haryana questioning his comments. Congress leader and former close associate of Hooda family, Kuldeep Sharma subsequently wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding that Hooda, a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), be removed from the body. He also warned that the controversy could politically damage the Congress ahead of the Punjab assembly elections.
Sharma alleged that Hooda’s statement had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community and reopened the wounds of the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
He accused Sharma of speaking the language of the BJP and said the Congress high command should take cognisance of statements that, according to him, were damaging the party’s image. Taking a swipe at Sharma, Brahmachari said those who until recently looked at the panchang and horoscope to determine their political direction were now finding faults with former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepender Hooda. “Deepender Hooda has consistently been fighting for the issues of farmers, labourers, youth and all sections of society,” Brahmachari said. Escalating his attack, the Sonepat MP said Sharma had received political opportunities with the support of former Bhupinder Singh Hooda despite suffering electoral setbacks in the past. He said Hooda’s political support had helped several leaders establish themselves politically in regions including Rohtak, Sonepat, Jind and Karnal. He said it was against political decorum to invoke the names of deceased persons merely to target Deepender Hooda and demanded that the Congress high command take action against statements that were causing embarrassment and harming the party’s image.
Expressing regret if anyone’s sentiments had been hurt, Hooda said victims of the 1984 violence deserved justice and no guilty person should be spared.
However, Hooda later clarified that he had never called Sajjan Kumar a “role model”, as alleged by his critics. He said words were being put in his mouth and maintained that he had no intention of hurting the Sikh community.
