Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has stirred controversy with his recent remarks on Operation Blue Star, prompting strong disapproval from the party’s top leadership, sources said on Sunday.
While speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli on Saturday, Chidambaram called the 1984 military operation inside the Golden Temple a “mistake,” saying it was the "wrong way" to deal with militants. He added that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi paid with her life for the decision, though he emphasized that the operation was a collective failure involving the Army, Intelligence, Police, and Civil Defence.
Party insiders say the Congress leadership is “very upset” with Chidambaram, adding that senior leaders should avoid public statements that embarrass the party.
“This cannot become a habit,” a source said, pointing to similar remarks made by Chidambaram in the past that have reportedly caused discomfort within the party.
“The rank and file are agitated. Leaders who have gained everything from the Congress must show restraint,” the source added.
The BJP was quick to pounce on Chidambaram’s comments, calling Operation Blue Star a "political misadventure" rather than a national necessity.
The ruling party also challenged Congress to clarify its stand and questioned whether it would act against Chidambaram "for speaking the truth and exposing their false narrative."
This isn’t the first time Chidambaram’s comments have triggered political ripples. Earlier, he said that he personally supported military retaliation against Pakistan following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, but said the UPA government opted for diplomatic restraint under pressure from international powers, including the US.
Chidambaram said then-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had urged India not to retaliate, a claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced during a recent event in Navi Mumbai, accusing Congress of bowing to foreign pressure and demanding a party clarification.
Operation Blue Star, carried out between June 1 and 10, 1984, aimed to flush out militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
The operation deeply scarred the Sikh community and led to Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
(With inputs from PTI)