Chandigarh: Lt Gen (retd) Kuldeep Singh Brar's recent remark on the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the backdrop of Operation Blue Star and the resurgence of Khalistani movement were widely welcomed by the saffron party while the Opposition took exceptions to it.
The veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war and Liberation of Bangladesh and Commanding Officer(CO) of Operation Blue Star said that the Khalistani movement has been resurging in Punjab and the neighboring Pakistan has been offering support to it.
Brar said "things were very bad in Punjab in the 1980s. There was no law and order at all. Bhindranwale was an all-powerful man. It was Congress and Indira Gandhi who first raised the stature of Bhindranwale." This particular remark was celebrated by the BJP in Punjab.
BJP subscribed to the statement as "a fact" forcing a reaction from the Congress which ruled Punjab before the Aam Aadmi Party came to power. Congress maintained that the statement from the CO of Operation Blue Star has no relevance now after almost 38 years.
Punjab BJP leader Harjit Grewal said, "whatever General Brar said about Congress and Indira Gandhi backing Bhindranwale is correct. Bhindranwale was a religious person and not many people were connected with him earlier. Slowly, people started following him and he became a powerful man. Even Sri Harmandir Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib were attacked. Due to the wrong policies of the governments, the country had to suffer a lot."
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Grewal further said, "Even today, Amritpal (a religious teacher in Punjab) does not have many supporters. If he is not controlled, he will be the next Bhindranwale. Amritpal's activities must be discouraged and the government should take action against him."
Congress spokesperson Kanwar Harpreet Singh said the statement of General Brar was unnecessary and baseless and blamed the Union government of using the retired veteran as their tool. "Central government and agencies are behind this statement. This statement was not given by General Brar himself but the government forces are behind it. This is a politically influenced statement that has been given out of fear of the growing influence of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party," he said.
