A political battle has broken out following Maharashtra minister and top BJP leader Girish Mahajan’s criticism of Operation Blue Star as “black day” and his reference to the soldiers who were killed during armed operations in 1984 as martyrs.
The party was attending a meeting during a celebration of Operation Blue Star anniversary on the head-quarters of Damdami Taksal in Amritsar district. This was supposed to be the first state government representative to attend the annual placement.
Addressing the event, Mahajan said while the military operation at the Golden Temple left a pain in the Sikh fold, he didn’t specify what were the exact repercussions of the incident. He also lashed out against former PM Indira Gandhi, claiming the Army was deployed in Punjab and the temple area against its wishes.
The minister also made it apparent that the 1984 military action was similar to the invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali on the Golden Temple in the past. He states there were many innocent victims who died and that those who caused the tragedy are not being held responsible.
Operation Blue Star June 1984, is one of the most discussed and sensitive incidents in the recent Indian history. The Indian Army had started an operation to eliminate armed militants from the Golden Temple complex.
By his remarks, Mahajan has fueled attacks from his political enemies and renewed controversy on the military coup and its significance, now almost 40 years on.