Operation Blue Star Anniversary: Deep Sidhu, Bhindranwale Posters Spotted At Golden Temple

Indian: Pro-Khalistani slogans, placards of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale were spotted on Sunday at Amritsar’s Golde Temple as India marked the 37th anniversary of the ill-fated Operation Blue star. Amid high security at the Akal Takht complex, pro-Khalistani group Dal Khalsa held a march to the shrine demanding to mark 6 June as ‘Khalistan Day’. Actor-turned-singer Deep Sidhu, the prime accused of the Red Fort violence out on bail, too was spotted offering prayers at the shrine on Sunday.

The 1984 Operation Blue Star was the biggest internal security mission ever undertaken by the Indian Army. The Operation was Indira Gandhi’s solution to the law and order situation in Punjab prevalent at that time due to the rise of Khalistan movement in India. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered the military operation to remove Sikh militants who were accumulating weapons in the Harmandir Sahib Complex (Golden Temple) under Operation Blue Star which was carried out between June 1 and June 8, 1984, in Amritsar.

During Operation Blue Star, Khalistan supporters took over the Akal Takht complex in Amritsar’s Golden Temple. The operation was specifically aimed to eliminate Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple complex and regain control over Harmandir Sahib. The casualties as per the official reports were 83 Indian Army jawans and 492 civilians throughout the whole Operation.