Sonia Gandhi recalls Indira Gandhi’s tearful reaction to Op Blue Star; Akali Dal says speak to families
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New Delhi, Nov 10 : A fresh political controversy has erupted after Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi recalled how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was moved to tears on seeing images of the devastation caused during Operation Blue Star in 1984.
In her upcoming book, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', scheduled for release on Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi has spoken about the emotional impact of the military operation on her mother-in-law, as quoted by NDTV.
According to the report, the controversy follows Sonia Gandhi's interview with The Guardian ahead of the release of her book, in which she recalled Indira Gandhi's reaction after being shown photographs of the destruction during Operation Blue Star.
Sonia Gandhi said that when her mother-in-law was shown images of the devastation inside the Golden Temple complex, "tears rolled down her face".
Her remarks have drawn a sharp reaction from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which questioned the Congress leadership's expression of anguish over an operation that it described as an attack on the Sikh community and Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
Reacting to the reports, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler questioned the Congress leadership's position, alleging that Operation Blue Star was carried out as part of a conspiracy. He said the pain inflicted by the operation would remain in the hearts of Sikhs for generations.
Drawing a parallel with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Kler said the suffering caused by the Congress could not be expressed in words.
"The Congress committed genocide against Sikhs, and innocent Sikhs were murdered," he said.
He challenged the Congress leadership to speak to families who lost their loved ones and whose homes were burnt during the violence, saying only then could they understand the extent of the community's suffering.
Sonia Gandhi also recalled that Indira Gandhi faced threats to her life following the military operation and had begun preparing her family for the possibility of her death.
"She told us what to do in case she died - so she knew," Sonia Gandhi was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
"She was making preparations for her death. She told Rahul he must be brave and not to cry," she said as quoted by NDTV in its report.
Sonia Gandhi also said she believed Indira Gandhi's visit to Kashmir with her grandchildren that summer was an attempt to say goodbye.
Operation Blue Star was carried out by the Indian Army in June 1984 to flush out armed militants from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The operation remains one of the most sensitive and painful chapters in Sikh history, with the damage to the complex and Sri Akal Takht Sahib continuing to evoke strong emotions.
On October 31, 1984, months after the operation, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, defending the Congress, party working president Raj Kumar Verka said the party had never justified Operation Blue Star and maintained that Congress stood with Punjab and its people.
Verka also referred to visits by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to the Golden Temple, stating that both leaders had offered prayers at the Sikh shrine.
In her upcoming book, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', scheduled for release on Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi has spoken about the emotional impact of the military operation on her mother-in-law, as quoted by NDTV.
According to the report, the controversy follows Sonia Gandhi's interview with The Guardian ahead of the release of her book, in which she recalled Indira Gandhi's reaction after being shown photographs of the destruction during Operation Blue Star.
Sonia Gandhi said that when her mother-in-law was shown images of the devastation inside the Golden Temple complex, "tears rolled down her face".
Her remarks have drawn a sharp reaction from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which questioned the Congress leadership's expression of anguish over an operation that it described as an attack on the Sikh community and Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
Reacting to the reports, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler questioned the Congress leadership's position, alleging that Operation Blue Star was carried out as part of a conspiracy. He said the pain inflicted by the operation would remain in the hearts of Sikhs for generations.
Drawing a parallel with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Kler said the suffering caused by the Congress could not be expressed in words.
"The Congress committed genocide against Sikhs, and innocent Sikhs were murdered," he said.
He challenged the Congress leadership to speak to families who lost their loved ones and whose homes were burnt during the violence, saying only then could they understand the extent of the community's suffering.
Sonia Gandhi also recalled that Indira Gandhi faced threats to her life following the military operation and had begun preparing her family for the possibility of her death.
"She told us what to do in case she died - so she knew," Sonia Gandhi was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
"She was making preparations for her death. She told Rahul he must be brave and not to cry," she said as quoted by NDTV in its report.
Sonia Gandhi also said she believed Indira Gandhi's visit to Kashmir with her grandchildren that summer was an attempt to say goodbye.
Operation Blue Star was carried out by the Indian Army in June 1984 to flush out armed militants from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The operation remains one of the most sensitive and painful chapters in Sikh history, with the damage to the complex and Sri Akal Takht Sahib continuing to evoke strong emotions.
On October 31, 1984, months after the operation, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, defending the Congress, party working president Raj Kumar Verka said the party had never justified Operation Blue Star and maintained that Congress stood with Punjab and its people.
Verka also referred to visits by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to the Golden Temple, stating that both leaders had offered prayers at the Sikh shrine.
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Note: The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the ap7am team.