Review of Operation Bluestar Memorial: Cong
Punjab Congress leaders have called upon chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to review its decision on Operation Bluestar memorial.
Punjab Congress leaders have called upon chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to review its decision on Operation Bluestar memorial.
The memorial is being raised in the Golden Temple complex in the memory of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associate terrorists.
Congress leaders said "A peace memorial should have been built to perpetuate the memory of about 40,000 innocent people who lost their lives during terrorism rather than operation bluestar memorial".
In a statement issued here on Saturday, party MLAs Lal Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Parminder Singh and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, and MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said going by the murderous attack on Lt General Kuldip Singh Brar in London, the terrorists who shattered peace of Punjab for more than a decade continue to be active. The memorial being built in the Golden Temple complex would be a source of inspiration to such elements who were once again conspiring to shatter peace in this strategic border state.
They said it was the Akali Dal which had resolved to raise such a memorial in the holiest of holy shrine in 1984 and the same has been carried out by the SGPC which is under the thumb of Badal.
They said nothing moves in the SGPC without a nod from Badal.
They expressed concern that money continued to be pumped into Punjab from abroad for such activities.
Rather than taking multi-pronged steps to counter such activities, the Badal government was indirectly providing legitimacy to these activities as was evident when Badal pleaded for clemency to Balwant Singh Rajoana who has been sentenced to death in the case relating to the assassination of then chief minister Beant Singh.
"Badal should not forget that he is occupying the same seat once occupied by Beant Singh" added Congress leaders.
Parminder Singh said Punjab had not only lost political leaders from across the political spectrum who fell victim to the politics of the gun, a number of senior police officers also sacrificed their lives in this dreaded fight. It was because of such sacrifices that the situation was finally saved.
Singh said it was unfortunate that the actions of the Badal government and the Akali Dal controlled SGPC was once again providing covert encouragement to such forces adding that it was for this reason the decision to construct memorial in the Golden Temple complex must be reviewed.
All parties should come together for raising a peace memorial said Congress leaders.