After Deepender Hooda called Sajjan Kumar ‘role model’, Channi: ‘traitor, deserved to be shot in public square’

Sikh leaders and families grieving the 1984 anti-Sikh riots marched outside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's house on Saturday, demanding an apology from the party for Congress members' praise of former party chief Sajjan Kumar. Harmeet Singh Kalka and Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, leaders of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, questioned whether the Congress endorsed statements calling Kumar a "hero" and "role model."

After Kumar's death, some Congress leaders, including MP Deepender Singh Hooda, referred to him as a national role model. This reignited anger among Sikhs, who feel their families' wounds have reopened. The DSGMC leader expressed that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress must apologize. Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla defended the party, saying they stand with the victims of Kumar's actions.

Other Punjab-based political leaders also condemned Hooda's remarks, emphasizing support for those affected by the violence. Sajjan Kumar, an 80-year-old former Congress MP, passed away on Thursday while serving life sentences in two anti-Sikh riots cases.