Sukhbir attends death anniv of Indira Gandhi’s assassin at Golden Temple

Days after visiting the memorial of Satwant Singh, one of the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and his house at Agwan village in Gurdaspur, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday attended a ceremony organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at the Golden Temple complex to mark the death anniversary of the assassin.

: Days after visiting the memorial of Satwant Singh, one of the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and his house at Agwan village in Gurdaspur, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday attended a ceremony organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at the Golden Temple complex here to mark the death anniversary of the assassin.

Sukhbir Badal along with his son made a brief presence on the occasion for the first time. (HT file photo)

Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, who were bodyguards of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had in 1984 assassinated her months after Operation Bluestar. Beant Singh was shot dead during an interrogation in custody soon after the assassination, while Satwant, along with Kehar Singh, who had hatched the conspiracy to kill Indira as per the court’s verdict, were sent to the gallows on January 6, 1989.

The death anniversary of both Satwant and Kehar is marked annually at Gurdwara Jhande Bunge in the Golden Temple complex.

Sukhbir Badal along with his son made a brief presence on the occasion for the first time. Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh, radical Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Sakhira, SGPC members Manjit Singh and Bhagwant Singh Sialka and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) representative Manjit Singh Bhoma were at the gathering when Sukhbir turned up there. Sukhbir paid obeisance before Guru Granth Sahib. However, he did not sit there and moved on.

He was also on the premises of the Golden Temple in the wake of an “akhand path” organised by the Badal family at the sanctum sanctorum.

“Though it is Sukhbir’s change of tactics and not heart, we will appreciate in case he will practically do some good by giving a go-ahead to the SGPC to erect a memorial for them,” said Dal Khalsa leaders.

During the ceremony, Waryam Singh, brother of Satwant Singh, and Gurpreet Singh from the family of Kehar Singh and others were honoured with the “siropa” by Giani Gurminder Singh, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members, and officials.

Meanwhile, the Dal Khalsa leaders on Friday reiterated their call for the construction of a memorial within the Golden Temple complex in the memory of the assassins.

A function was also organised at Gurdwara Yadgar-e-Shaheedan at Agwan village in the memory of the assassins.