NEW DELHI: The Congress party has criticized senior leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram for his statement that the Blue Star Operation at the Golden Temple in June 1984 was a wrong approach by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Former Congress MP Rashid Alvi has questioned Chidambaram’s recent comments, asking if he is under “any pressure” due to the criminal case against him.
Speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, the former Home Minister said that Indira Gandhi chose the “wrong path” to liberate the Golden Temple in Amritsar from the control of fundamentalist elements. “No disrespect to any military officer here, but that (Blue Star) was the wrong way to reclaim the Golden Temple. A few years later, we showed the right way to reclaim the Golden Temple by keeping the army out.” Chidambaram made these remarks during the launch of journalist and author Harinder Baweja’s book, “They Will Shoot You Madam: My Life Through Conflict,” at the Khursant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.
Chidambaram said that Operation Blue Star was wrong and cost the life of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Chidambaram’s party colleague, Rashid Alvi, has questioned Chidambaram’s recent comments and questioned whether he is under “any pressure” due to the criminal case against him. The former Home Minister said, “There was a way to capture the militants hiding in the Golden Temple, but Operation Blue Star was wrong. I believe Indira Gandhi paid the price for this mistake with her life. This decision was not hers alone. The army, intelligence agencies, police, and civil security also contributed to it. Therefore, it is not right to blame Indira Gandhi entirely.”
What was Operation Blue Star?
The military operation was carried out in June 1984 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. Its objective was to eliminate Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the leader of the Damdami Taksal, and his associates. They were separatists and were conspiring to separate Punjab from India. The army entered the Golden Temple and killed Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associates. The temple was also damaged in this action, causing widespread anger among the Sikh community.
This incident provoked a strong reaction from the Sikh community. A few months later, in October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. Following the assassination, anti-Sikh riots broke out in Delhi and other cities, killing thousands of innocent Sikhs. Congress leaders were accused of instigating these riots. A top Congress source said, “This has brought embarrassment to the party.”
Operation Blue Star was a military operation carried out to flush out radical preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters, who were hiding inside the Golden Temple during the separatist movement in Punjab. Between June 1 and June 8, the Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple complex, one of the holiest sites in Sikhism. This military operation, during which the Akal Takht was reduced to rubble, caused widespread outrage among Sikhs.
A few months later, Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards. Her assassination sparked widespread violence against the community. Several Congress leaders were suspected of inciting this violence. According to government estimates, more than 3,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and elsewhere. Former Congress MP Rashid Alvi asked what Chidambaram’s “compulsion” was behind speaking out against the Congress. He said, “Chidambaram is doing the same thing the BJP is doing. A criminal case is pending against Chidambaram. Is there any pressure on Chidambaram to make these statements? Instead of speaking out against the BJP, Chidambaram is pointing out the shortcomings of the Congress.
This statement comes days after Chidambaram’s comments on India’s response to the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai made headlines. In a recent interview, the former Home Minister said that the idea of ​​retaliation had occurred to him after the 26/11 attacks. He said, “I discussed it with the Prime Minister and other important people. I guess the Prime Minister discussed the matter during the attacks. And the conclusion was largely under the influence of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) that we should not react physically to the situation, but should use diplomatic means.”

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