Operation Blue Star: Reading between the lines of a deleted social media post by Punjab BJP

The Punjab BJP has traditionally treaded a thin line over Operation Blue Star, balancing the sentiments of former ally Shiromani Akali Dal and the party’s own “nationalistic”, Hindutva stand. The use of emotionally charged terminology like “martyrs” in the context of Operation Blue Star hence stands out.

Urging that not much be read into the deleted post, a senior BJP leader told The Indian Express that the party only meant to invoke the “dark and painful chapter in Indian history”.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said the focus should be on the party’s “intentions” rather than the wording of the post. “One should look at the intent of putting balm on the wounds of the 1984 riot victims, not just the content,” Jakhar said, pointing to the Delhi BJP government’s actions regarding the victims of the anti-Sikh riots. The violence had followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination over her role in ordering Operation Blue Star as the Prime Minister.

“Our actions speak louder than words. Just last week, the Delhi Chief Minister gave jobs to 125 family members of 1984 riot victims – something no one did in the past. It was a historic step,” Jakhar said.
Asked why the post was removed by the BJP, Jakhar said: “Sometimes social media handlers post content without proper approval of the leadership. There might have been something in the post that needed correction. However, the overall intent of the party should be the focus.”

In fact, the BJP has been pretty consistent in its condemnation of the Congress government’s role, even as it defended Operation Blue Star as a necessary military action to eliminate terrorism and restore order in Punjab. The party believes it were failures of the Congress government that led to the situation where militants holed up inside the Golden Temple, leaving little recourse but Army action.

In Punjab, the BJP line has been more modulated, keeping in mind regional sensitivities and Sikh sentiments. Hence, it has occasionally expressed sympathy for those killed in the operation, without directly criticising the Army. The fact that the Akali Dal always strongly condemned the operation also influenced this positioning.

However, within these limitations as well, the BJP has been sharpening its attack against the Congress on the military action. In 2009, Arun Jaitley, the late BJP leader and then the party’s general secretary, called Operation Blue Star a “historic blunder” at a press conference in Jalandhar ahead of the general elections.

In August 2023, during a debate on the no-confidence motion moved against his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the operation “an attack on the Akal Takht”. It was the first time the party used that framing, largely used by Sikh voices, to describe the operation.

Attacking Congress governments of the past, Modi drew parallels between the 1984 operation and the Indian Air Force’s bombing in Mizoram in 1966. “They (the Congress government) had become used to such actions since Mizoram, and that mindset led to the Akal Takht being attacked,” he said.

The BJP’s now-deleted post has also drawn attention since it coincided with the anniversary of the Operation Blue Star, which began on June 1 – the BJP has traditionally maintained its distance from events held to mark it. BJP rivals link both the sharing of the post and its prompt deletion to the coming Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll.

The Aam Aadmi Party candidate contesting the seat is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, and if he wins the bypoll, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal could take the parliamentary seat that falls vacant.

While the BJP has made inroads with the Hindu votes in Punjab, it is Sikh support that is crucial if the party wants to make it alone in the state, and the controversial post is being seen in this light.
Jakhar lists the many steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi showing his “deep respect for Punjab and Punjabis”, including the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, commemoration of Guru Nanak Dev’s 500th anniversary and Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom, and the declaration of Veer Bal Diwas to honour the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, apart from “justice” for the 1984 riot victims. “These steps reflect the PM’s priority for Punjab and its people,” Jakhar said.

Surjit Singh, the president of the 1984 Riot Victims’ Welfare Society in Punjab, acknowledged the BJP government’s efforts to support riot victims, but questioned the timing and subsequent deletion of the June 1 post by the BJP. “They may have done it keeping in mind the Ludhiana West bypoll, wanting to appeal to voters across communities,” he said, adding that all parties “use such strategies during elections”.

Akali Dal spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema attacked the BJP, saying the party needed to explain its actions in putting up and then deleting the post.