New Delhi, June 4

SAD leader and Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa courted controversy on Tuesday after he defended Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers and demanded an apology from the Centre for conducting ‘Operation Bluestar’ in which they were killed.

Bhindranwale, head of Sikh religious sect Damdami Taksal, was killed along with his armed followers during ‘Operation Bluestar’ launched by Indian Army at Golden Temple Complex in June 1984. He and his followers had occupied Harmandar Sahib and fortified Sikh shrine Akal Takht, from where they were allegedly running militant activities in Punjab.

Sirsa, a leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won the Rajouri Garden Assembly constituency bypoll on a BJP ticket in 2017.

“As far as I know, there is nothing against Bhindranwale except allegations. He and his followers were fighting against the attack on the Gurdwara.

“Let a probe be conducted into ‘Operation Bluestar’ to come out with facts which have been buried under allegations,” Sirsa said at a press conference.

Sirsa, who is the president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee (DSGMC) said a delegation will meet the President and the Prime Minister this week, to demand formation of a time-bound commission of enquiry and a sitting Supreme Court judge headed special investigation team for a thorough probe into ‘Operation Bluestar’.

“Several innocent people were killed in the operation. Its timing was pre-planned to gain political benefits,” Sirsa said.

He also asked government to make public all documents related with the operation to expose the people responsible for the killings of Sikhs.

“It is most unfortunate that even 35 years after the attack on most sacred place of humanity, successive governments at the Centre failed to apologise to the Sikh community,” he said demanding an apology from the Centre.

People talk of apology over Jallianwala Bagh tragedy but Sikhs and all peace loving people feel that the Indian government owes an apology for ‘Operation Bluestar’ which was an attack on a religious shrine and resulted in deaths of “innocent” people, he added. — PTI