Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday referred to as former MP Sajjan Kumar “a killer of the Sikh neighborhood, a traitor” and that “he deserved to be shot in a public sq.”.
Kumar, who was serving two life sentences in reference to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, died on the age of 80 in New Delhi on Thursday.
“He hatched a conspiracy and bought Sikhs killed. Serving two life sentences for crimes in opposition to the Sikh neighborhood, he died in jail — a darkish reminder of a person who disgraced humanity and justice. Once I grew to become chief minister, I demanded that he be handed over to our authorities. The Sikh neighborhood and Punjabis can by no means forgive him,” Channi, who can be MP from Jalandhar, mentioned.
The remarks come a day after get together’s Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda described Kumar as a task mannequin and termed his demise an “irreparable loss”.
Channi mentioned, “Sajjan Kumar is a killer of the Sikh neighborhood, a traitor. He conspired to have Sikhs killed…. Removed from being a task mannequin, even uttering his identify is a sin. If such folks change into function fashions, then nation will likely be destroyed. Such a legal ought to have been made to face within the public sq. and shot useless”.
The previous CM went on to say that those that name him a task mannequin, “they need to management their tongue”. He additional mentioned the difficulty doesn’t concern Sikh neighborhood alone and added, “this particular person shamed total humanity”.
Channi’s remarks dropped at fore a pointy divide inside the Punjab Congress the place senior management both distanced themselves from Deepender’s assertion or didn’t react in any respect.
Social gathering’s state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring termed Deepender’s assertion as “his private view”.
On Channi’s remarks, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was a large tragedy and “regardless of the passage of a lot time, the trauma runs deep in folks’s minds”. Justice for the victims has all the time been a precedence for the Congress, he mentioned including that Kumar was now no extra alive and he’ll get adjudicated within the court docket of God.
Congress’ Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla mentioned Kumar had dedicated “misdeeds,” had been punished, and that “a frontrunner doesn’t lead in harming others.”
Kumar, a former three-time Congress MP from Delhi, had been convicted in 2018 by the Delhi Excessive Court docket and awarded life time period for killings and the burning of a gurdwara within the Raj Nagar space of New Delhi. He later obtained one other life time period in a associated homicide case. An acquittal in a separate matter was underneath problem.
Other than Deepender calling Kumar a “function mannequin”, his father and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda referred to the deceased MP as an in depth buddy. One other Haryana Congress chief Randeep Singh Surjewala posted tributes highlighting Kumar’s “grassroots connection, recognition of employees, and easy nature.” A two-minute silence was additionally noticed in his reminiscence throughout a Haryana Congress Legislature Social gathering assembly. Different Congress figures, together with Udit Raj, described Kumar’s dying as a terrific loss for the get together.
The tributes provoked robust reactions. The BJP accused Congress of “eulogising the killers of the Sikh neighborhood” and of insulting 1984 victims, with spokespersons linking it to the get together’s broader stance. Sikh organisations, Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, and households of riot victims condemned the statements, saying they reopened previous wounds.
Senior Advocate H.S. Phoolka criticised Congress for persevering with to deal with figures like Kumar as function fashions.
A number of Sikh leaders and members of the affected households staged a protest exterior the residence of senior Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanding an apology an apology and clarification on whether or not the get together regards Kumar as a “hero” or function mannequin.
In Chandigarh, Aam Aadmi Social gathering MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal mentioned that if a Congress chief calls Kumar “his function mannequin, it raises critical questions in regards to the mindset and politics of the Congress get together”. He demanded that Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge take instant motion over the assertion and expel Deepender from the get together.
Dhaliwal additionally skilled weapons at Punjab Congress saying that ought to overtly demand motion in opposition to Deepender.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s proposed go to to Punjab and Amritsar in coming days, Dhaliwal mentioned that earlier than coming to the land of Punjab, the Congress management should make clear its place on this matter.
He mentioned that with what face will Rahul Gandhi search votes from the folks of Punjab and Sikh voters when a senior chief of his get together calls an individual linked to the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 his “function mannequin”.
