Kurukshetra: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) on Friday slammed the Congress party over Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda’s “role model” remark for Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and died in jail while serving a life term on Thursday.SAD Haryana president Harkesh Singh Mohri said Sajjan Kumar had been sentenced to life imprisonment till death for the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre cases. He asked Congress functionaries, including the leader of the opposition in the Haryana assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda; his son and Lok Sabha member Deepender Hooda; and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, to clarify their stand on the Sikh community.“It is clear from their statements that they consider a person convicted in an anti-Sikh massacre case their role model. The entire Congress party should be ashamed of such statements,” Mohri said.He further said the Sikh community should remain cautious while assessing Congress’s policies. “I want to tell the entire Sikh community that if power comes into the hands of these Congress leaders, they will not leave any opportunity to repeat such atrocities against the community. We need to understand this policy of the Congress and move forward cautiously while making decisions,” said the Akali Dal functionary.JJP youth wing state senior vice-president Jaswinder Singh Khaira also questioned Deepender Hooda’s recent statement on Sajjan Kumar, saying that justice and compassion should apply equally to all victims.Khaira said Deepender had every right to speak against injustice, but questioned why he had not expressed similar concern for the innocent Sikhs killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre and for the families that were still awaiting justice.“The pain of 1984 is not merely a chapter of history. It remains alive for thousands of families who lost their loved ones and continue to seek justice,” Khaira said.He said legal action against accused persons was a matter for the courts, but political functionaries should also acknowledge the suffering of the victims of 1984. “If you can speak out when you see injustice against an individual today, why is your voice not heard for the injustice suffered by the families of 1984 Sikh victims?” Khaira asked.He urged the Congress party and its functionaries to honestly confront the legacy of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre and the long-pending grievances of victims’ families.“We are not against justice for anyone. Every victim, irrespective of religion or community, deserves justice. But compassion should not be selective,” he said, urging Deepender to raise his voice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre as well.
