Operation Bluestar was a military operation carried out in 1984 to flush out militants from the Golden Temple. Radical outfit Dal Khalsa activists were seen holding placards bearing portraits of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as well as Khalistani flags on Friday
Members of a radical outfit hold placards bearing photos of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. PIC/PTI
Pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by members of radical outfits at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar on Thursday.
They raised slogans of 'Khalistan Zindabad' as SAD (Mann faction) leader Simranjit Singh Mann reached the Golden Temple on Friday, June 6, which is observed as the death anniversary of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed during the operation, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, Dal Khalsa activists were seen holding placards bearing portraits of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and also Khalistani flags, PTI reported.
Operation Bluestar was a 10-day military operation spanning from June 1 to 10, 1984.
The security at the holy site has been beefed up.
Akal Takht former Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, said, "...The government to this day doesn't have the answer to why such a holy place of Sikhs was attacked. Sikhs were demanding their rights. They had not announced an attack against the Indian government. Then, without any notice or warning, we were attacked as enemy countries are attacked... People are celebrating today across the seven seas. People have come here across the country to pay their respect to those who laid down their lives for the sake of our religion, for us..."
On the issue of divisive slogans, he said, "These slogans have always been raised here and across the world. There is nothing new in this."
June 6, 1984, marked the day when the Indian Army, under Operation Bluestar, stormed into the Golden Temple on the orders of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to contain militancy that had broken out under Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the head of radical outfit Damdami Taksal, in Punjab. It was reported that Bhindranwale had stashed large quantities of arms in the Golden Temple premises. Bhindranwale, along with his armed followers, was killed in the operation.
However, the military action was heavily criticised. Months later, Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, at her New Delhi residence on October 31, 1984.
In the Lok Sabha elections held last year, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, Beant Singh's son, registered victory from the Faridkot constituency in Punjab with a margin of 70,053 votes over Aam Aadmi Party leader Karamjit Singh Anmol.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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