Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has critically assessed Operation Blue Star, calling it a “mistake” and noting that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ultimately paid with her life for this decision.
Speaking at a recent event, Chidambaram stated, “No disrespect to any military officers here, but that (Blue Star) was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. A few years later, we showed the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple by keeping out the Army. Blue Star was the wrong way, and I agree that Mrs Gandhi paid with her life for that mistake.”
Operation Blue Star, initiated by Indira Gandhi in June 1984, aimed to remove militants, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The operation led to significant casualties and widespread public outrage, particularly among the Sikh community. Tragically, just months later, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, an act that triggered severe anti-Sikh riots across India.
The bodyguards responsible for her assassination on October 31, 1984, at her residence were Beant Singh and Satwant Singh.
While Chidambaram’s comments shed critical light on one of India’s most politically sensitive and emotionally charged military operations, he also emphasized that the responsibility for the “mistake” was collective.
“But that mistake was a cumulative decision of the Army, the police, the intelligence and the civil service. You cannot blame it only on Mrs Gandhi. Would you?” he questioned, suggesting a broader accountability.
Chidambaram made these remarks during a discussion titled ‘They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict’ with author Harinder Baweja.
The Congress party has historically faced criticism concerning both the military operation and the subsequent anti-Sikh riots. Although the party has previously issued statements expressing regret, Chidambaram’s remarks represent a particularly direct acknowledgement of past errors by a prominent party leader.