Pro-khalistan slogans were raised at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday, as the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star is observed.
A video released by ANI showed people carrying placards bearing the portraits of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada last year. Some carried banners and placards reading 'Khalistan Zindabad'.
According to a PTI report, former MP Simranjit Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), a vocal proponent of a separate Sikh State, and Dhian Singh Mand, another former MP from the party, were seen among those who sloganeered at the Golden Temple. Mann recently lost the Lok Sabha poll from the Sangrur seat.
In the demonstration, which was led by radical outfit Dal Khalsa, some Sikh youths were seen carrying 'Khalistan flags' and photographs of damage inflicted to the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, during Operation Blue Star.
Security Arrangements
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Amritsar as the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star is observed.
"Security arrangements have been made here. Forces have been deployed and barricading has been done. Any untoward incident will be monitored," Senior Superintendent of Police S.S. Randhawa Singh told ANI.
Operation Blue Star
The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had ordered the Indian Army to storm the Golden Temple to flush out Sikh militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Punjab. He had taken shelter there and it was reported that large quantities of arms had been stashed on the premises.
The operation, which also led to civilian and military fatalities, was heavily criticised. It also led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in October 1984. The assassination then set the stage for anti-Sikh riots, especially in Delhi, which saw the community brutally targeted by mobs. Official estimates peg the death toll of the riots at over 2,700.