On the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, several members of the Sikh community raised pro-Khalistan slogans at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday. The protesters carried posters of slain separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Among those raising slogans and displaying posters was Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann. In response to the demonstrations, security around the Golden Temple has been significantly increased.
#WATCH | Punjab: On the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, members of the Sikh community raise slogans inside the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar.
Posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale also seen during the demonstration. Pro-Khalistan slogans also raised. pic.twitter.com/QTrrpnekCq
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024
“Security arrangements have been made here. Forces have been deployed and barricading has been done. Any untoward incident will be monitored,” said Senior Superintendent of Police SS Randhawa Singh.
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, head of the radical Sikh outfit Damdami Taksal, was killed during Operation Blue Star in June 1984. The Indian Army launched the operation to flush out militants from the Golden Temple complex, which had been used to stockpile arms.
Operation Blue Star, ordered by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remains a heavily criticized event. In the aftermath, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, on October 31, 1984.
In recent political developments, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, won the Faridkot constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, defeating Aam Aadmi Party leader Karamjit Singh Anmol by 70,053 votes.
Reflecting on the operation, Lt Gen (retd) Kuldeep Singh Brar, who led the mission, stated that Prime Minister Gandhi had initially allowed Bhindranwale to grow into a significant threat before deciding to “finish him off.” He criticized the then-political leadership for permitting Bhindranwale’s rise, citing internal political dynamics between the Akali and Congress parties.
