Kasauli/New Delhi, October 13 — The Congress on Sunday distanced itself from former Union Minister P Chidambaram’s remarks describing Operation Bluestar as “the wrong way” to deal with the 1984 crisis at the Golden Temple, accusing him of echoing the BJP’s narrative and questioning his motives.
Speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli on Saturday during a discussion on journalist Harinder Baweja’s book They Will Shoot You, Madam, Chidambaram said the military assault ordered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a “collective failure” of the system, not Gandhi’s alone.
“There was a way to retrieve and capture all the militants. Bluestar was the wrong way,” Chidambaram said. “I agree Gandhi paid with her life for that mistake, but it was a cumulative decision of the Army, the police, intelligence and the civil service. We cannot blame it only on her,” he added.
The former Home and Finance Minister further said that the Golden Temple was “retaken the right way” several years later, referring to Operation Black Thunder, which did not involve the Army. “No disrespect to any officers present here, but that was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. Three to four years later, we showed the right way by keeping the Army out,” he remarked.
Operation Bluestar, launched between June 1 and June 8, 1984, saw the Indian Army storm the Golden Temple in Amritsar to eliminate separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed supporters. The assault left the Akal Takht heavily damaged and led to deep anger across the Sikh community. Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in the months that followed, triggering anti-Sikh riots that killed more than 3,000 people across the country.
Chidambaram’s comments have drawn sharp political reactions across party lines. BJP national spokesperson RP Singh supported his statement, calling Operation Bluestar a “political misadventure” rather than a national necessity. “Indira Gandhi chose confrontation for electoral gain, portraying the patriotic Sikh community as anti-national. She got trapped in her own political web and ultimately paid with her life. The real tragedy, however, was borne by my community — thousands were massacred in Delhi and across Punjab,” Singh said.
He added that a “strategic approach” like Operation Black Thunder, which cut off electricity and water to the shrine and forced militants to surrender, could have avoided desecration and civilian casualties.
Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned Chidambaram’s comments, saying they were “an unacceptable attempt to dilute Congress’ responsibility.” “To say Indira Gandhi was not solely responsible is unacceptable. The Congress must own up to its historic mistake,” Sirsa said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju echoed similar criticism, saying Chidambaram’s “admission” had come too late. “After admitting that India couldn’t respond to Pakistan’s Mumbai terror attacks due to foreign pressure, he now calls Operation Bluestar a mistake,” Rijiju remarked.
Within the Congress, Chidambaram’s statement has sparked visible discomfort. Senior leader Rashid Alvi said the former minister seemed to be “repeating the BJP’s talking points.” “Whether Operation Bluestar was justified or not can be debated, but why is P Chidambaram still attacking his own party after five decades?” Alvi asked. “He is echoing what the BJP and Prime Minister Modi have been saying for years.”
Alvi went on to suggest that Chidambaram’s recent remarks might be linked to the legal cases pending against him. “It raises doubts about whether there’s some external pressure behind his repeated criticism,” he said.
A senior Congress source, meanwhile, expressed disappointment, saying, “A leader who has been entrusted with such major responsibilities should exercise restraint. Statements that repeatedly harm the party’s image are neither fair nor acceptable.”
The controversy has once again reopened old political wounds tied to one of India’s most painful chapters, with both the Congress and BJP attempting to shape the narrative nearly four decades later.
