Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday condemned Congress MP Deepinder Hooda’s remarks describing former party MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar as a “role model nationwide,” and demanded his expulsion from the Congress party. AAP spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said Deepender Hooda’s “insensitive” statement had deeply hurt sentiments of the entire Sikh community.“Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi must immediately expel Deepender Hooda from the party without any delay. There should be no place in any political party for leaders who rub salt into the wounds of the victims of 1984,” said Dhaliwal.He added, “Deepender Hooda is defending those responsible for the killing of Sikhs and the Congress leadership could not remain silent on such a statement. The Congress central leadership must take immediate action against Deepender Hooda.”Dhaliwal also questioned the “silence” of Punjab Congress leaders and challenged them to clear their stand on the issue. “Punjab Congress leaders should come out on the streets against Deepender Hooda’s statement and demand his expulsion from the Congress central leadership,” he said.He alleged that it was not the “first incident in which the anti-Sikh face of the Congress had come to the fore,” recalling that photographs of several senior Congress leaders with Jagdish Tytler, another accused in the massacre of Sikhs, had earlier gone viral.“This clearly shows that the Congress party has always patronised and honoured the killers of Sikhs. Describing a person like Sajjan Kumar as a role model is an insult to the victims and their families. The only appropriate step is to immediately expel Deepender Hooda from the Congress,” Dhaliwal said.Hooda’s comments came after Sajjan Kumar’s death on Thursday. He described the former MPs death as a loss to the political landscape and praised his public connect.Meanwhile, Baltej Pannu, AAP’s state media incharge, also posted a video on X, with the caption, “The death of Sajjan Kumar, convicted by the court for the 1984 Sikh massacre, has exposed the Congress party’s true face towards minorities.”
