After Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi distanced themselves from Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda’s praise of Sajjan Kumar, former Haryana Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma has complained against Hooda to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and demanded his expulsion from the Congress Working Committee (CWC).In an email to Kharge, Sharma said that Deepender Hooda, a permanent invitee to the CWC, had issued a statement extolling the virtues of Sajjan Kumar, who is deceased, as a role model.“It has sent shock waves among the Sikh community of India. A few of my Sikh friends from Haryana and Punjab have called me to express their resentment over such irresponsible statement,” he stated.It is pertinent to mention that after the farmers’ agitation, the Sikh community had overwhelmingly voted for the Congress in the country, but after such a statement, the community is having afterthoughts about supporting the Congress party, he pointed out.“The opposition parties are taking up the issue for political gains. Such statement made by Deepender Hooda on the eve of Punjab elections has not only harmed the interest of the party but has opened the wounds of the community as such,” he said.“Needless to say that the Congress party had disassociated itself completely from Mr. Sajjan Kumar. Therefore, it is felt through a cross section of the public at large that in order to heal the wounds that have now been re-opened Mr. Deepender Hooda should be removed from the CWC so as to demonstrate bonafides of the Congress Party, as such immature and irresponsible remarks have weakened the Congress party especially in the eyes of a community that is very relevant in Punjab which is soon up for elections, not to mention our country and even the diaspora abroad,” he added.After Punjab Congress leaders, Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party, Sharma is the first Haryana Congress leader who has come out against Deepender.What Deepender has saidAfter Sajjan Kumar’s death, Deepender Hooda described him as a “role model” and termed his death an “irreparable loss”. Sajjan Kumar was serving two life sentences for his involvement in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.Deepender’s father, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had also described Kumar as a friend and informed during a press conference on Thursday that a two-minute silence would be observed during a CLP meeting.What former CM Channi and Warring saidFormer Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi described Sajjan Kumar as a “murderer of the Sikh community and a traitor”.In his post on X, Channi said that Sajjan Kumar should have been shot in public as he had put humanity to shame. On Deepender’s utterances, he said that if someone was describing Kumar as a role model, he should take care of his language and himself too.Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring described Deepender Hooda’s praise for Sajjan Kumar as his personal opinion and said that they would always stand by the victims of the 1984 riots.He said, “1984 anti-Sikh riots were a massive tragedy, and their wounds still remained. Even after all these years, the people who lost their loved ones continue to carry deep trauma in their hearts…Those who committed crimes against innocent people cannot escape punishment in the court of the Almighty.”AAP, SAD and BJP leaders are also seeking clarification from the Congress on Deepender’s praise for Sajjan Kumar.