In a controversial move, veteran cricketer Harbhajan Singh paid tribute to Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and others. He glorified terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on his death anniversary mentioning him as a ‘martyr’ and also offered his homage in an Instagram story.
All these terrorists were killed inside the Golden Temple during Operation Blue Star.
In 1984, late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had ordered ‘Operation Blue Star’ to flush out the terrorists led by Bhindranwale.
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale wanted to carve out a sovereign state for the Sikh community.
The veteran cricketer, Harbhajan Singh on his Instagram story shared a poster which stated –
“Live with pride, die for the religion.” The poster features Jarnail Singh at the center wearing a blue turban.
Hundreds of people gathered inside the Golden Temple and were seen holding the flags and raising slogans.
For Harbhajan Singh, Bhindranwale a person responsible for massacre of thousands is a martyre.
Wish Sreesanth would have given him back hard that day.#HarbhajanSingh
Can we finally say now?..In search We lost a
Of a gold Diamond https://t.co/RoZvP4jxLO pic.twitter.com/JYOEnySZAK— Dessie Aussie ???????????????? (@DessieAussie) June 7, 2021
About Operation Blue Star and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale –
• Born in 1947, Jarnail Singh was chosen as the head of the Sikh religious institution Damdami Taksaal in 1977 after Sant Kartar Singh was killed in a road accident.
• He rose to prominence on Baisakhi Day in spring 1978 when he stoked tempers by delivering a fiery speech against the members of the Nirankari sect as they took out a procession throughout the streets of Amritsar.
• After 13 persons marching with him were killed by the Nirankaris, he became the focal point for the outrage as Sikhs erupted in anger at the murders.
• During that time, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Janata Party government were in power in Punjab, Congress allegedly decided to back Bhindranwale to challenge the SAD.
• Jarnail Singh even campaigned for Congress in the 1980 general election in which Indira Gandhi came back to power.
• However, the situation soon turned awry as the preacher propagated the creation of a Sikhism-based theocratic nation of Khalistan.
• Subsequently, Jarnail Singh and his Khalistani supporters occupied the Akal Takht complex, including the Golden Temple. This ultimately became the center of all types of criminal elements.
All these ultimately compelled the Centre to take action against Jarnail Singh. Operation Blue Star was launched and the religious place was taken back from the clutches of the terrorists in June 1984.
However, this cost dearly for Congress as Indira Gandhi was assassinated later on October 31, 1984, by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh as revenge of Operation Blue Star.
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