British Sikh MP Seeks Inquiry In Op Blue Star; What Was The Operation? Know Here

"This week marks 36 years since the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, ordered her abhorrent attack on the most revered Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar," said Dhesi

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New Delhi: British Sikh Opposition Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi called for an independent inquiry into the extent of the involvement of the then Margaret Thatcher led British government in Operation Blue Star in June 1984. The UK's first turbaned Sikh member of Parliament, who raised the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday to mark 36 years since the Indian Army's operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, also called for a debate on the issue. "This week marks 36 years since the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, ordered her abhorrent attack on the most revered Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar," said Dhesi. "Despite recent revelations and given the huge demand from within the British Sikh community and the support of the Labour party and other Opposition parties, an independent inquiry to establish the extent of the Thatcher government's involvement in the attack has still not been held," he said as quoted by PTI. Leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, responded on behalf of the government to describe it as an "important anniversary". "I have every confidence that Margaret Thatcher, one of the greatest leaders this country has ever had, would always have behaved properly," said Rees-Mogg. The demand for an inquiry arose a few years ago when it emerged that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to the Operation Blue Star. The then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had ordered an internal review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britain’s role had been purely “advisory” and the Special Air Service (SAS) advice had “limited impact” on the Operation Blue Star in June 1984.

What was Operation Blue Star?

Operation Blue Star took birth after the rise of Khalistan movement in India. The Khalistan movement was a political Sikh nationalist movement which aimed at creating an independent state for Sikhs inside the current North-Western Republic of India. The 1984 Operation Blue Star was the biggest internal security mission ever undertaken by the Indian Army. Operation Blue Star was Indira Gandhi's solution handle the disturbed law and order situation in Punjab. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered the military operation to remove Sikh militants who were accumulating weapons in the Harmandir Sahib Complex (Golden Temple).

Operation Blue Star was carried out between June 1 and June 8, 1984, in Amritsar. Also watch: Lunar Eclipse tonight at 11.15: Debate over Astrology Vs Science