Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation which occurred between 1 June and 8 June 1984, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in order to establish control over the Harmandir Sahib Complex in Amritsar, Punjab, and remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his militant armed followers from the complex buildings.
And on this glorious the security had beefed up, to keep the chaos at bay and conduct the day peacefully. Five Rapid Action Force companies and several companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order.
Amidst heavy security arrangements by the SGPC, civil administration and the police, there were a few tense moments at the 34th Bluestar anniversary at Golden Temple when three unidentified youth attempted to create a ruckus.
On the 34th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) on Wednesday raised pro-Khalistan slogans inside the premises of Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Brandishing of swords and open use of sticks was witnessed on Wednesday during a ceremony to mark the 34th anniversary of the Army’s ‘Operation Blue Star’ inside the Golden Temple complex.
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The clash between radical Sikh elements and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) took place right in front of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion.
The incident took place just about 100 feet from the sanctum sanctorum ‘Harmandir Sahib’, the holiest of Sikh shrines located inside the Golden Temple complex here.
At least one person was injured as the SGPC task force members tried to prevent the radical elements from disturbing the ceremony.
Video footage of the incident showed task force members attacking the radicals who were raising secessionist slogans. The radical elements raised pro-Khalistan (a separate Sikh homeland) and anti-India slogans.
Police personnel, present inside the shrine complex in plainclothes, tried to control the situation from getting out of hand. “A turban was thrown on the ground in the clash,” one eyewitness told the news reporters.
The SGPC officials said the situation was prevented from getting out of control due to swift action by the task force members.
Akal Takht jathedar (chief) Gurbachan Singh said the ceremony was held “peacefully” as a remembrance of the sacrifice of hundreds of people who were killed during the Army’s ‘Operation Blue Star’ in June 1984.
The Army carried out the operation to flush out heavily armed militants and radicals from inside the shrine complex between June 1-10, 1984.
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