On Monday, both the Congress party and Shiv Sena (UBT) called for the dismissal of Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan from the state Cabinet following his controversial comments regarding Operation Blue Star. They accused the BJP leader of disrespecting the armed forces and casting doubts on a military operation intended to safeguard the nation’s unity.
Harshvardhan Sapkal, the president of the Maharashtra Congress, requested clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding their stance on Mahajan’s statements. “If the BJP does not support Girish Mahajan’s views, it must publicly denounce his comments and apologize to both the nation and the armed forces. Otherwise, these remarks will be interpreted as the party’s official position,” Sapkal asserted.
He further emphasized, “To question Operation Blue Star is to challenge India’s efforts against terrorism and to diminish the sacrifices made to uphold the country’s integrity.”
Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, defended the decision made by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to initiate the operation. “If that decision had not been made during Indiraji’s tenure, India could have been divided, and the idea of a unified India would not have survived,” he remarked, insisting that the decision must be contextualized within the historical circumstances of that period.
Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, also demanded Mahajan’s removal from both the Cabinet and the BJP. “Should we label Operation Sindoor as a dark day?” Raut questioned. “If you view Operation Blue Star as a black day for an action taken to protect the nation’s integrity, then you are a traitor. It was an act by a Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi) who sacrificed her life, fought against terrorism, and ensured Punjab remained part of India,” he added.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant criticized the BJP for what he described as a politically motivated double standard on the issue. “Indira Gandhi and Army chief General Arunkumar Vaidya gave their lives for the nation. The BJP is acting against the national interest and the welfare of Maharashtra,” he stated.
The controversy began when Mahajan, a prominent BJP figure and minister in Maharashtra, referred to Operation Blue Star as a “black day” during a speech at the Damdami Taksal headquarters in Amritsar, coinciding with the anniversary of the operation. “For us, Operation Blue Star is a black day, as our brothers and sisters were martyred,” Mahajan remarked.
He characterized the operation as a “military assault” on the holiest site of the Sikh community, alleging that then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had compelled the Army to invade Punjab and the Golden Temple complex. “It was a military attack on our sacred shrine,” he claimed, adding that the 1984 operation had inflicted deep wounds on the Sikh community.
Mahajan compared the event to the historical invasion of the Golden Temple by Ahmad Shah Abdali, stating, “Such a significant tragedy occurred. I would not term it an accident, but rather a deliberate act that resulted in the loss of many lives, with no repercussions for the perpetrators.”
Operation Blue Star took place from June 1 to 10, 1984, with the objective of removing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and armed militants from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. Following the operation, both the former Army chief, General A.S. Vaidya, and Indira Gandhi were assassinated.
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