A divide has emerged within the Congress over the legacy of former MP Sajjan Kumar, with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi calling it a “sin to talk about him”.Kumar, who was serving life sentence in cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, died at a Delhi hospital on Thursday.The controversy erupted after Congress’ Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda described Sajjan as a “role model” and his death as an “irreparable loss” to the country’s political landscape. The remarks have put the Punjab Congress leadership in a difficult position, with its leaders seeking to draw a clear line between Hooda’s comments and their own position on the 1984 violence and the victims.Channi, during his visit to Ludhiana, took a sharply different stand from the Rohtak MP and described Sajjan as an “inhuman person”, holding him responsible for the killing of Sikhs in Delhi. Channi said the suffering of families affected by the 1984 riots could not be forgotten.“Even after all these years, the people who lost their loved ones continue to carry deep trauma in their hearts,” he said. Later in a post on X, Channi said, “… it is a sin to talk about him… a dark reminder of an individual who disgraced humanity and justice.”“If anyone calls this person a role model, they should mind their tongue and think what they are saying,” he said.Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring too sought to distance the state unit from the MP’s remarks. “What Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda said may be his personal view,” Warring said.“No person whether a Sikh or a non-Sikh can forget the pain and trauma of 1984. Despite the passage of so much time, the trauma runs deep in people’s minds. As for what Deepender Hooda said, that may be his personal view,” he said.Congress leader Brinder Singh Dhillon also took to X to question the praise for Kumar. He said a conviction could not be erased by death and questioned how a person convicted in connection with the 1984 riots could be described as a “great leader”. He said such comments hurt the sentiments of the victims and their families.Kumar, a former three-time Lok Sabha MP from Outer Delhi, died on Thursday while serving two life sentences in cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.