Operation Blue Star was a BIG 'mistake'; Indira Gandhi paid with her life: P Chidambaram

P Chidambaram on Operation Blue Star: After the instruction of Indira Gandhi, Operation Blue Star was conducted, but it was a 'mistake' and she paid with her life for that, as per the senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday.

It is to be noted here that P Chidambaram's remark came when he was speaking at the discussion on 'They Will Shoot You, Madam', journalist Harinder Baweja's book, at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli.

He said, "There was a way to retrieve... and capture all the militants. But Operation Blue Star was the wrong way, I agree that Mrs (Indira) Gandhi paid with her life for that mistake. But that mistake was a cumulative decision of the army, police, the intelligence and civil service. You can't blame only Mrs Gandhi."

Operation Blue Star was the wrong way: Chidambaram

Further speaking at the event, the former union home minister said that he doesn't mean any disrespect to any of the military officers, but stated that the Operation Blue Star was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. In his statement, he said, "No disrespect to any military officers here but that (Blue Star) was a wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. Few years later, we showed the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple by keeping out the Army."

The 'real problem' in Punjab

He also highlighted about the 'real problem' in Punjab i.e., its economic situation. "My visits to Punjab (have) led me to believe that the political cry of Khalistan and separation has practically died down and the real problem is the economic situation… most illegal migrants are from Punjab," he said.

Indira Gandhi's Assassination

Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country at the time of Operation Blue Star. After Operation Blue Star, due to rise of extremism in Punjab, she was assassinated on October 31, 1984. Ahead of the incident, she was heading for an interview and left from her residence to her office at 1 Akbar Road. Notably, her security guard SI Beant Singh was present at the gate and constable Satwant Singh at the sentry booth. Satwant had a stun gun in his hand while Beant had a .38 caliber government revolver. As soon as Indira came out, Satwant and Beant fired several bullets at her. Beant fired 5 bullets, whereas Satwant fired 25 bullets.