Team India's senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh paid tribute to Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star by sharing a picture of him and others killed inside the Golden Temple, sparking a controversy.
Harbhajan Singh did not explicitly name Bhindranwale but the post shared by the cricketer in his Instagram story on June 6, features photo of the Khalistani terrorist.
Here's Harbhajan Singh's Instagram post:
Operation Blue Star was carried out from June 1 to June 8, 1984 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The mission ordered by late PM Indira Gandhi in 1984 was conducted by the Indian Army at the Golden Temple to flush out the terrorists who demanded a sovereign state for the Sikh community.
The Indian Army surrounded the Golden Temple complex on June 3 and imposed curfew in the city in the evening. On June 4, the Army decided to open fire against the armed militants present inside the temple. On the night of June 5, the clash between the Army and the militants began.
According to the Government of India, 83 soldiers were killed and 249 were injured. 493 extremists or civilians were killed, 86 were injured and 1592 were arrested. But these figures are considered disputed.
To avenge for the Operation Blue Star, Indira Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards assassinated her on October 31, 1984. Her assassination led to anti-Sikh riots in India.