In New Delhi, senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram characterized the 1984 Operation Blue Star as an inappropriate approach to reclaim the Golden Temple in Punjab, pointing out that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ultimately paid for that decision with her life. Chidambaram stated, “No disrespect to any military officers, but that was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. A few years later, we demonstrated the correct approach by keeping the Army out. Blue Star was the wrong way, and I acknowledge that Mrs. Gandhi paid with her life for that error.” He made these comments at a literature event in Kasauli.
Discussing the June 1984 military operation aimed at removing terrorists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Chidambaram clarified that the decision was not solely made by Indira Gandhi. “It was a collective decision involving the Army, police, intelligence, and civil service. You cannot place the blame solely on Mrs. Gandhi,” the former finance minister emphasized. In response to Chidambaram’s statements, senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi accused him of aligning with the BJP’s perspective and suggested he might be feeling pressure. Alvi remarked, “Whether Operation Blue Star was right or wrong is a matter of debate. However, after 50 years, what prompts P Chidambaram to continue criticizing the Congress?
By stating that Indira Gandhi made a wrong decision, he is echoing exactly what the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do.”