Congress Embarrassed by P. Chidambaram’s Operation Blue Star Remarks

Veteran Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has ignited a firestorm of controversy by labeling the 1984 Operation Blue Star a "mistake" and the "wrong way" to handle militants inside the Golden Temple. Speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli on October 11, 2025, Chidambaram didn't hold back, attributing the tragic fallout—including Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination—to a collective failure across the Army, Intelligence, Police, and Civil Defence. "Indira Gandhi paid with her life for that decision," he remarked, underscoring the operation's profound and lasting scars on the Sikh community and the nation.

The remarks have reportedly left the Congress high command seething, with party insiders revealing deep frustration over what they see as an embarrassing public airing of internal sensitivities. "The leadership is very upset," a senior source confided, emphasizing that such statements from seasoned figures like Chidambaram risk undermining the party's unity and historical narrative. "This cannot become a habit," the source added, alluding to previous instances where Chidambaram's off-the-cuff comments have stirred unease, including his past assertions on the UPA government's restraint after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In that episode, he claimed personal support for military strikes on Pakistan but noted the decision for diplomacy came under pressure from global powers, including a direct plea from then-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to avoid escalation—a point Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently weaponized to accuse Congress of foreign capitulation.

The rank-and-file Congress workers are equally agitated, with voices within the party urging restraint from leaders who owe their prominence to the organization's legacy. "Leaders who have gained everything from the Congress must show restraint," the source stressed, highlighting the potential for such remarks to alienate core supporters and revive painful historical debates at a time when the party is focused on contemporary electoral battles.

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Seizing the moment, the BJP has pounced with glee, framing Chidambaram's words as an admission of Congress's "political misadventure" during a national security crisis. Party spokespersons challenged the opposition to clarify its official stance on Operation Blue Star, questioning whether disciplinary action would be taken against the veteran for "speaking the truth and exposing their false narrative." This isn't lost on observers: The operation, conducted from June 1 to 10, 1984, to oust militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the sacred Golden Temple in Amritsar, remains one of India's most divisive episodes, culminating in Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984, and sparking widespread anti-Sikh riots that claimed thousands of lives.

As the dust settles, Chidambaram's comments threaten to reopen old wounds, forcing Congress into damage control mode. Will the party issue a formal rebuttal, or will this escalate into a full-blown internal rift? In the cutthroat arena of Indian politics, where history is often a weapon, one unguarded remark can unravel years of carefully curated unity—leaving everyone wondering if this is the spark that could derail Congress's revival hopes ahead of upcoming polls.

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