Breaking: Deepender Hooda denies calling Sajjan Kumar a ‘Role Model’, says 1984 riot guilty must face punishment
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, August 23: Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda on Sunday sought to clarify his remarks on former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, amid intense political backlash over comments made following Kumar’s death.
Addressing the media, Hooda said he had never described Kumar as a “role model” and claimed that the phrase was being attributed to him by people seeking to create controversy.
He also apologised if his remarks had hurt the sentiments of members of the Sikh community and reiterated that those guilty of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence must face strict punishment.
In a statement shared by his official social media account, Hooda said, “I did not use the words, nor did I harbour any such sentiment,” referring to the phrase “role model”. He alleged that some people had been twisting his words and presenting them in a different manner.
“Our relationship with the Sikh community is not just of today; it is a centuries-old bond of brotherhood and familial ties. We understand the pain of the 1984 riots. The guilty must receive the harshest of punishments, and the Sikh community must get justice,” Hooda said.
Hooda further said that he had no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments.
“If the sentiments of any brother have been hurt, I offer a heartfelt apology. It was never my intention to hurt anyone,” he said, describing the Sikh community as a “glorious part” of the nation and saying that he took pride in it.
The clarification came after Hooda faced criticism from political parties and Sikh groups over his remarks following Sajjan Kumar’s death on August 20. Kumar, a former Congress MP, had been serving life imprisonment in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
While condoling Kumar’s death, Hooda had described him as a prominent political figure in Delhi and North India and said his connection with people was exemplary. He had also termed Kumar’s death an “irreparable loss” for the country’s political landscape. These remarks triggered a political controversy, particularly in Punjab, with the Aam Aadmi Party, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal attacking Hooda and the Congress.
The controversy intensified after the remarks were interpreted as praise for Kumar, with reports attributing the “role model” description to Hooda. Hooda has now explicitly denied using the term.
He also sought to underline his family’s stated position on the 1984 violence, saying that a “grave injustice” had taken place and that those guilty must be punished.
“The guilty must face strict punishment; the Sikh community deserves justice — this has been our consistent stance,” Hooda said.