'Operation Blue Star was a mistake'; Congress expresses dissatisfaction over P Chidambaram's remark

NEW DELHI: The Congress party has expressed dissatisfaction over former Union Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement that Operation Blue Star, the 1984 military operation to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple, was a wrong move. Congress leader Rashid Alvi openly criticised Chidambaram, questioning whether he made such a statement under someone’s pressure. He also asked if there were any pending criminal cases against Chidambaram.

"It is unfortunate that Chidambaram spoke against Operation Blue Star, which was carried out under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Whether the operation was right or wrong is a different issue. But what made Chidambaram attack Indira Gandhi by calling her decision wrong? He is doing exactly what the BJP and the Prime Minister are doing. Chidambaram's repeated attacks on the Congress raise several doubts. He still faces criminal cases. Is he attacking the party because of pressure from someone?" Alvi asked.

Chidambaram had earlier said that Operation Blue Star, the army operation to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in 1984, was a wrong decision, and that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had to pay for that mistake with her life. He made these remarks while speaking at a literature festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.

According to Chidambaram, the operation was not Indira Gandhi’s decision alone. It was a joint decision involving the army, police, intelligence, and civil service. However, he said it was the wrong way to reclaim the Golden Temple. The mistake was later corrected when the army was withdrawn, he added. He also mentioned that the Khalistan separatist movement in Punjab has ended, and now the state faces economic challenges and issues of illegal migration.

Operation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star was the biggest internal military operation in India after independence. On January 26, 1984, Khalistan separatists hoisted their flag at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. After they announced that a major protest would begin on June 3, the central government decided to take military action. The operation began on June 1. The army entered the Golden Temple- one of the holiest sites of the Sikh religion- and killed Khalistan leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers. 83 soldiers lost their lives, and according to official figures, over 500 people, including civilians, were killed.

The operation caused deep anger in the Sikh community. Months later, Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards. This was followed by large-scale violence against Sikhs across the country, in which more than 3,000 Sikhs were killed.