Operation Bluestar threw up papers, treasure trove: Ministry of Home Affairs

The information came to light in the August 3 reply to a Right To Information (RTI) application filed by Gurvinder Singh Chadha of Uttarakhand on June 25.
People gathered to mark the 34th anniversary of Operation Blue Star at Akal Takht in Golden Temple Complex. | File PTI
People gathered to mark the 34th anniversary of Operation Blue Star at Akal Takht in Golden Temple Complex. | File PTI

CHANDIGARH: Around 4,000 documents, several books and files besides gold and silver ornaments, precious stones, currency and coins were recovered by Central agencies during Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in 1984, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The information came to light in the August 3 reply to a Right To Information (RTI) application filed by Gurvinder Singh Chadha of Uttarakhand on June 25.  Chadha had asked for details of the items, documents and historical artefacts recovered and their current location.  In its reply, the MHA has stated that the articles and documents recovered were handed over either to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) or the Punjab government. But it did not give details of the items or which government agency had recovered them. It also stated that 493 terrorists and civilians were killed.

Chadha claims the MHA’s reply was incomplete. “The details of the operation were not given. After that, I filed an appeal in the first appellate authority on August 16 which was heard on August 31 by the MHA Joint Secretary and it was stated that besides this, they did not have any other information. Then, I approached the Central Information Commission on October 3 to get the remaining information ... but my appeal is pending,” he said.

“I asked the state government on August 16 to give me details of the seized items which were returned to them by the MHA. The letter from the Chief Secretary’s office was forwarded to the state’s Home Department which further sent it to the Punjab Police.

The police replied that Operation Bluestar was conducted from June 3 to 6 in 1984 and at that time,  the state was under military rule and the whole operation was conducted by the Army and other Central agencies. “As such, the operation was outside the jurisdiction of the Punjab Police thus it has no information,” Chadha further stated. Earlier, another RTI applicant had sought to inspect the files relating to the operation but was denied any documents saying the information was too sensitive to be disclosed under the RTI. 

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