‘Shinde’s comment on Operation Blue Star Memorial unfortunate’

“The Congress party is raising a hue and cry over a purely religious issue of peace monument only to divert the people’s attention from the mind-boggling scams that have hit the UPA,” he said.

Shinde,who during his first visit to Punjab as Home Minister yesterday,said,”Punjab has gone through days of terrorism and in view of this,the Punjab government must do self-introspection before taking a decision on the memorial”.

“Government should take the matter seriously,” Shinde said when asked about fears that the memorial would “embolden” the extremists and could lead to revival of militancy in the state.

Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) is constructing the memorial on the premises of Golden temple in the memory of those killed during ‘Operation Blue Star’ launched by the army in 1984 to flush out militants from the shrine.

Punjab Congress had opposed the setting up of the memorial with its chief Amarinder Singh demanding stopping of construction alleging it would stoke violence similar to the London attack on Lt Gen (retd) K S Brar who had led Operation Blue Star.

The BJP,an ally of ruling Akali Dal in Punjab,too has opposed the setting up of the memorial.