Chidambaram draws ire of Cong over Op Blue Star remarks

The Congress leadership is “very upset” with former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram over his recent remarks on Operation Blue Star, sources said on Sunday, urging senior leaders to exercise caution in making statements that could embarrass the party. Party insiders noted that repeated controversial statements by senior leaders create internal unrest and damage the party’s image.
Chidambaram, speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, said Operation Blue Star was “wrong” and that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi “paid the price with her life for the mistake.”
He stressed that the operation, conducted between June 1 and June 10, 1984, against militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, was the result of cumulative decisions by the Army, intelligence agencies, police, and civil authorities, and could not be solely blamed on Indira Gandhi.
Party sources said the leadership is concerned that senior leaders who have benefited from the party’s platform should avoid statements that repeatedly cause embarrassment.
“The top party leadership is very upset and the entire party is agitated over why this is happening repeatedly,” they said, pointing to past instances where Chidambaram’s remarks had caused consternation within the party.
The BJP swiftly attacked the Congress, calling Operation Blue Star a “political misadventure” rather than a national necessity. “Will the Congress now act against Chidambaram for speaking the truth and exposing their false narrative?” the ruling party asked.
Earlier, in a podcast, Chidambaram said he personally favoured military retaliation against Pakistan following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, but the government, led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, followed diplomatic advice from the external affairs ministry.
He noted that global powers, including the US, urged India to exercise restraint. Chidambaram added that then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had specifically asked him and the Prime Minister “not to react.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the first phase of Navi Mumbai International Airport, referenced Chidambaram’s statements, saying, “A Congress leader, who has also been Union Home Minister, has stated that a country prevented India’s military retaliation post-26/11. The party should clarify.”
Operation Blue Star ultimately led to Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984, and remains a sensitive and contentious chapter in India’s modern history.
Congress sources stressed the importance of careful public communication by senior leaders to protect the party’s image while addressing historical events.