Internal Turmoil: Kuldeep Sharma Urges National President to Axe Hooda from Working Committee

In a formal communication addressed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former Haryana Assembly speaker Kuldeep Sharma demanded that Deepinder Hooda be removed from the Congress Working Committee. Sharma cited Hooda’s recent remarks praising Sajan Kumar – a convict linked to the 1984 anti‑Sikh riots – as the catalyst for widespread discontent within the Sikh community.

Sajan Kumar, who was serving two life sentences for his role in the 1984 violence, passed away at the age of 80 on August 20 in New Delhi. Following his death, Hooda publicly called Kumar a “role model” and referred to his passing as an “irreplaceable loss.” This statement prompted a flurry of phone calls from Sikh leaders in Haryana and Punjab demanding accountability.

Sharma reminded that Sikh voters had significantly bolstered Congress’s support base after the farmer protests, but the party now risks losing that goodwill. He warned that the upcoming Punjab elections, scheduled before 2027, could be jeopardised if the leadership fails to address the issue promptly.

The former speaker argued that expelling Hooda from the CWC would signal a clear break from any association with past atrocities and reaffirm Congress’s commitment to earning the trust of the Sikh electorate.