At Taksal HQ, Maharashtra BJP minister pays tributes to Sikh ‘martyrs’ of Op Blue Star

Jalandhar: Maharashtra BJP minister Girish Mahajan, while speaking at Damdami Taksal HQ at Chowk Mehta at an event to mark the 42nd anniversary of Op Blue Star, paid tribute to the Sikhs killed in the incident as "martyrs", and termed the Army action "an attack".Around three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while replying to a no-confidence motion in Parliament in Aug 2023, had used the expression ‘an attack on Akal Takht' for the Army action at Darbar Sahib in June 1984.When Mahajan was invited to speak at the event, it was announced that he was representing Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis."It is a black day for us and we can never forget it. Thousands of our brothers and sisters were martyred. Army attacked the holy place. Indira Gandhi made the Army invade (‘ghusaaiya') our holy place. In Delhi also, thousands of our mothers, brothers, sisters were brutally massacred," he said, adding: "After so many murders nobody has been punished. None has been hanged… Congress is now paying for its misdeeds," he said. He said he was not only invited by Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma, but Fadnavis had also told him to attend the event.When Punjab BJP DitheredOn June 1 last year, the Punjab BJP unit paid tribute to the "martyrs of day one of the attack", using expressions that Sikhs have used from the very beginning. However, the post was soon retracted and BJP posted, "1 June 1984 - Saka (cataclysmic event) Blue Star – Humble tribute to all the martyrs of day one of the attack on Darbar Sahib by Congress govt." RSS chief Sudarshan visited Taksal Hq 25 years backIn the winter of 2000-2001, the then RSS chief KC Sudarshan had visited Taksal headquarters at Chowk Mehta and met with then Taksal chief Baba Thakar Singh and other Sikh Sants and Taksal leaders. According to Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, who was present on the occasion, the RSS chief 's opening remark was that he felt saddened by the Army action on Darbar Sahib by Congress govt, and called it a disaster.