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Deepender Hooda had posted a tribute on the death of ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar. NEW DELHI: Punjab Congress leaders on Friday sought to distance the party’s state unit from Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda’s remarks describing former party MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar as a “role model nationwide”. The leaders said the party stood with those who were killed and affected by the violence and that it was Hooda’s “personal views”.The pushback from Punjab Congress came a day after Sajjan Singh Kumar, who was serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 riots, died at the age of 84 at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.Hooda had described Kumar’s death as an “irreparable loss” to the country’s political landscape and said he had been a prominent figure whose connect with people was “exemplary”.The remarks triggered sharp criticism from Sikh groups, opposition parties and families of riot victims, forcing Congress leaders in Punjab to clarify that Hooda’s comments did not reflect their position.’We stand with those who died’Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said Kumar had committed “misdeeds”, had been punished for them and could not be held up as a model for political leadership.”Sajjan Kumar did misdeeds. He has been punished for his actions. A leader does not lead in harming others. We stand with those who died due to him,” Aujla said in Amritsar.Asked specifically about Hooda’s remarks, Aujla said they should be viewed as the Haryana MP’s personal opinion.”It must be the personal opinion of Hooda ji but our view is that whatever happened and whoever it happened with, we stand with them, the victims,” he said.Punjab Congress working president Raj Kumar Verka also sought to put the focus on the victims of the violence.”Sajjan Kumar’s life had been full of controversies. This is a matter related to Punjab and Punjabis have been hurt. If Sajjan Kumar is being held responsible for it, we first stand in support of those innocent people; Sajjan Kumar comes only later,” Verka said.”I don’t know who said what. We are Punjabis and we will continue to stand with Punjabis,” he added.Congress MP Manish Tewari, however, declined to comment directly on Hooda’s statement, saying he had not read it.”I haven’t read the statement, so it won’t be correct to comment on it,” Tewari saidWhat Deepender Hooda saidHooda’s comments came after Kumar’s death on Thursday.Speaking to ANI, Hooda described Kumar’s death as a loss to the political landscape and praised his public connect.”Today, the country’s political landscape has suffered an irreparable loss… He is cited as a role model nationwide,” Hooda had said.The remarks quickly became controversial given Kumar’s conviction in cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.Kumar was a three-time parliamentarian and had faced criminal proceedings over the violence for decades. His legal journey included both acquittals and convictions before higher courts.BJP, SAD attack CongressThe BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal sharply criticised Hooda and questioned whether his remarks represented the Congress’s broader position.BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu accused Kumar and his associates of systematically targeting Sikh families during the 1984 violence and alleged that the Congress leadership had protected him for years.Bittu called on the Punjab and Delhi Congress units to clarify their position on Hooda’s comments.The Shiromani Akali Dal also demanded an apology from Hooda and the Congress.SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia condemned the statement and said Congress should apologise.”How can a person like Jagdish Tytler, HKL Bhagat…and all those who killed our innocent Sikh brothers in broad daylight and are responsible for the murder of around 3,000 people during the 1984 riots, be called role models?” Majithia said.He also questioned whether Hooda would continue to remain in the Congress after making the remarks.SAD leader Daljeet Singh Cheema said Hooda should have considered the impact of his comments on families whose homes were destroyed and relatives killed during the violence.”When you glorify the life of such people in public, it causes a great deal of hurt to the Sikh community,” Cheema said.The president of the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Victim Welfare Society, Surjit Singh, also condemned Hooda’s remarks, saying victims had still not received justice.Victims’ family react to Sajjan Kumar’s deathThe controversy unfolded alongside emotional reactions from families affected by the 1984 violence.Ganga Kaur, a member of a riot-affected family, said members of her family had been killed during the violence.”Members of our family were burned alive in front of us. Sajjan Kumar died naturally, but we would have found greater peace if he had been executed,” she told ANI.Another victim-family member, who identified himself as Surjit Singh, said seven members of his family were burned alive during the riots.”It is very unfortunate that Deepender Hooda is siding a criminal. He should be ashamed of praising a person who is responsible for the massacre of so many people,” he said.Sajjan Kumar died at Safdarjung Hospital on Thursday at the age of 84. Hospital authorities said he had a history of high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease and had been admitted after being brought to the hospital by police with altered sensorium.Kumar had been serving a life sentence after the Delhi high court in December 2018 overturned his acquittal in the Raj Nagar case, relating to the killing of five members of a Sikh family and the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 violence.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe surrendered and was lodged in Tihar Jail in December 2018.In February 2025, a Delhi court sentenced Kumar to another life term in the Saraswati Vihar case over the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the riots. The court spared him the death penalty, citing his age, medical condition and conduct while serving his earlier sentence.In another case relating to violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri, a Rouse Avenue court acquitted Kumar in January 2026 of charges linked to the killing of Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh and the burning of Gurcharan Singh. The Delhi high court subsequently issued notice on an appeal against the acquittal.(With agency inputs)Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorPallaviNews desk journalist, digital, at The Times of India, with a focus on Indian politics. Over a decade of chasing stories, taming headlines and arguing with commas like they’re part of the opposition. Tracks elections, policy pivots, party drama and the fine print of power, where every word can tilt the narrative. Believes good journalism is clarity under pressure, ideally filed before the next breaking alert crashes in. 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