Amritsar: A large number of Sikhs who had gathered at the Golden Temple to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the Operation Blue Star were seen shouting ‘Khaalistan Zindabad, Khaalistan Zindabad’ slogans on Tuesday.
News agency ANI posted a video confirming that ‘Khaalistan Zindabad’ slogans were shouted by hundreds of Sikh devotees who had gathered in Golden Temple – one of the five most important seats in Sikhism.
Every year, thousands of Sikhs from across the globe assemble here to mark the event.
Thirty three years ago, tanks and troops had fired at the Akal Takht to eliminate militant secessionist preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who demanded a separate state for Sikhs – Khalistan.
Bhindranwale who was holed up there along with his armed disciples was later killed in a joint operation – Blue Star – launched by the Indian Army and the Punjab Police.
Every year, Bhindranwale T-shirts, secessionist literature and other memorabilia are sold openly around the Golden Temple, according to reports.
Inside the temple, people pay their respects at the Operation Blue Star Memorial, visit the museum, where the portraits of the Indira Gandhi’s assassins — Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, Kehar Singh – are on display alongside the rest of the pantheon of Sikh warriors.
The Dal Khalsa had called for Amritsar Bandh to protest against the 1984 operation which saw the holy shrine under siege by Indian Army to weed out Khalistan-supporting extremists, camping in the temple.
The city has been on high alert and a heavy police contingent has been deployed in and around the Golden Temple to avoid any untoward incident at the Akaal Takhat Sahib.