# Congress rift widens as Channi slams Hooda over Sajjan Kumar tribute 2026-08-22T13:46:03+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Congress leader Deepender Hooda praised former leader Sajjan Kumar as a role model and inspiration, highlighting his contribution to Delhi's development and public connection. Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi strongly rejected the statement, alleging Sajjan Kumar conspired to get Sikhs killed and warned that anyone calling him a role model must mind their language. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring distanced the state unit from Hooda's remarks, calling them his personal view. The rift within the party has widened over the tribute, with Channi's sharp criticism underscoring internal divisions on the issue. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Sajjan Kumar was convicted in 2018 for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and is currently serving a life sentence. Hooda's comments come ahead of the Haryana assembly elections, where the Congress is trying to consolidate Dalit and Jat votes. Channi, a Dalit face from Punjab, has staked a claim to national leadership. The clash reflects deeper factionalism between the Hooda and Sidhu-Channi camps within the state unit. The next flashpoint could be the party's candidate list for Haryana, due before September's filing deadline. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in Leads with the rift itself, attributes all claims to named leaders without editorialising. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Charanjit Singh Channi, Deepender Hooda, Punjab Congress, Sajjan Kumar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/congress-rift-widens-as-channi-slams-hooda-over-sajjan-kumar-tribute/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/congress-rift-widens-as-channi-slams-hooda-over-sajjan-kumar-tribute/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/