Supporters and activists of radical Sikh groups raised pro-Khalistan slogans inside the Golden Temple premises on Thursday, marking the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

Among those participating were activists from various outfits, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann, and former MP Dhian Singh Mand, who gathered at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

Simranjit Singh Mann, who recently contested and lost in the Lok Sabha elections from the Sangrur seat, was also present during the event. Under the leadership of the radical outfit Dal Khalsa, some Sikh youths were seen carrying Khalistani flags and images depicting a damaged Akal Takht.

Activists from Dal Khalsa were observed holding placards with portraits of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada last year.

Pro-Khalistan slogans reverberated across the marbled periphery of the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, near the Akal Takht. A number of Sikh youths were seen holding aloft banners and placards bearing the slogan 'Khalistan Zindabad'. To ensure a peaceful conduct of the event, extensive security arrangements were implemented in Amritsar.

In his address to the Sikh community, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh called upon two Sikhs who emerged victorious as Independents in the Lok Sabha elections to advocate for the release of 'Bandhi Singhs'—Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences—during their tenure in Parliament.

Giani Raghbir Singh highlighted the electoral victories of radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassin Beant Singh. Amritpal Singh, currently detained under the National Security Act at Dibrugarh jail in Assam, secured the Khadoor Singh Lok Sabha seat, while Khalsa emerged victorious in the Faridkot constituency.

Addressing the Sikh community, Giani Raghbir Singh stressed the importance of Sikh preachers and scholars visiting villages to promote Sikhism. He emphasised the need to educate the youth about Sikh tenets and history to foster unity under Akal Takht's leadership.

During the commemoration, Jathedar Raghbir Singh honoured those he described as "martyrs," including Bhindranwale and his supporters who died during Operation Bluestar in 1984. The families of these individuals were recognised during the event held at the Akal Takht.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex Sikh religious body, exhibited a bullet-riddled volume of the Guru Granth Sahib. This sacred 'saroop', which was housed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple at the time, sustained damage from gunfire during the Army's operation in 1984.

Operation Bluestar, conducted by the Army in June 1984, aimed to remove armed militants from the Golden Temple complex.

Image source: Hindustan Times