A day after Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda regretted his remarks praising former party leader and convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, Sajjan Kumar, senior Congress leader and former Haryana assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma said on Monday that this means he has accepted the mistake.
This comes a day after Sharma, an ex-MLA from Ganaur assembly constituency in Sonepat, wrote to party president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking Deepender’s removal from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for his controversial remarks. “My intention or objective was never to hurt anyone’s heart. Why have you apologised if you have not done anything wrong? The damage has been done. BJP is using your statement actively. 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. 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.
Deepender had on Sunday regretted his remarks describing the death of 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar as an “irreparable loss”—comments that triggered a major political row, with party leaders from both Punjab and Haryana castigating him. The Sikh community is a proud community of our country, and I am proud of such a community, whose sacrifices can never be forgotten,” Deepender said in a press statement issued from Chandigarh. In the August 23 communication to Kharge, Sharma said Hooda’s comments had “re-opened the wounds” of the Sikh community and could damage the Congress’s prospects in Punjab, where the party faces elections. On Deepender’s apology, Sharma said, “I see there are a lot of leaders in politics who are like motor cars without brakes. Earlier reporting noted: 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.
Earlier reporting noted: Hooda’s remarks triggered a political backlash, with leaders across Punjab and Haryana questioning his comments. Earlier reporting noted: Sonepat Congress MP rallies behind Deepender, targets Kuldeep Sharma on Sajjan remark row 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.
