P Chidambaram's Controversial Remarks on Operation Blue Star Spark Tension Within Congress Leadership

P Chidambaram's remarks on Operation Blue Star has triggered a significant controversy

New Delhi:

According to party sources, the Congress leadership is displeased with senior party member and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram regarding his comments about the Indira Gandhi government's handling of Operation Blue Star. Meanwhile, Chidambaram's colleague Rashid Alvi has questioned whether these remarks might be influenced by "any pressure" related to the criminal case against him.

"From the high command to ordinary party workers, the Congress is upset. A senior leader who has received everything from the Congress should speak carefully. Repeatedly making statements that embarrass the party is inappropriate," revealed a top source within the Grand Old Party.

At the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli, the former Home Minister stated that Indira Gandhi chose the "wrong approach" to reclaim the Golden Temple in Amritsar from radical elements. "With all respect to military officers present, that (Blue Star) was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. A few years later, we demonstrated the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple by keeping the Army out."

"Mrs Gandhi paid with her life for that mistake. It was a collective decision involving the Army, Police, intelligence, and civil services. You cannot place the blame solely on Mrs Gandhi," he emphasized.

Chidambaram was speaking during a discussion on the book, 'They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict' authored by Harinder Baweja.

Operation Blue Star was a military operation conducted to remove radical preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters who had occupied the Golden Temple during Punjab's separatist movement. Between June 1 and June 8, the Indian Army entered the premises of the Golden Temple, one of Sikhism's holiest sites. The military action, which resulted in severe damage to the Akal Takht, generated immense resentment among Sikhs.

Months after the operation, Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. Her assassination triggered widespread violence against the Sikh community. Several Congress leaders were suspected of instigating this violence. Government estimates indicate that over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and other locations.

Former Congress MP Rashid Alvi questioned what "compulsion" Chidambaram has for speaking against Congress. "Chidambaram is behaving similarly to the BJP. His statement is unfortunate. A criminal case is pending against him. Is there pressure on Chidambaram to make these statements? Instead of criticizing the BJP, Chidambaram is highlighting Congress's shortcomings. This is wrong. Congress gave these leaders so much, but I don't understand why they are now trying to damage the party," he remarked.

This controversy emerges shortly after Chidambaram made headlines for his comments about India's response to the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

In a recent interview, the former Home Minister admitted that he had considered retaliation after the 26/11 attacks. "I discussed it with the Prime Minister and other relevant officials. The Prime Minister had likely discussed this matter during the attack. The conclusion was heavily influenced by the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and the IFS (Indian Foreign Service) that we should respond through diplomatic channels rather than physical action," he explained.

"This conclusion was reached amid international pressure on Delhi urging us not to initiate a war," he had stated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used these remarks to criticize Congress. "Recently, a senior Congress leader and former Home Minister revealed significant information in an interview. He claimed that after the Mumbai attack, our forces were prepared to attack Pakistan. The entire nation wanted this. But according to that Congress leader, the government at that time prevented India's forces from taking action due to foreign pressure. Congress must reveal who made this decision under external influence, who disregarded Mumbai's national sentiment. The country deserves to know. This weakness of Congress empowered terrorists and compromised national security, costing the country numerous lives," the Prime Minister asserted.

Responding to the Prime Minister's comments, Chidambaram posted on X: "I quote the Hon'ble PM's words (as reported in ToI): '.....has said India was ready to respond after 26/11, but because of the pressure exerted by some country, then Congress government stopped India's armed forces from attacking Pakistan'."

"This statement contains three parts, and each one is incorrect, severely incorrect. It's disappointing to see the Honorable Prime Minister of India fabricating words and attributing them to me," the former Home Minister concluded.