July 7, 2025: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has stirred up a political storm by alleging that the 1984 military operation at the Golden Temple, also known as Operation Blue Star, was carried out by Indira Gandhi in collaboration with the British government. He also accused the Congress party of consistently using the Sikh community for political mileage.
What Did Dubey Say?
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Nishikant Dubey shared a classified letter from the UK’s National Archives. This letter, dated before the 1984 operation, allegedly shows communication between British officials regarding military advice on how to deal with the rising Sikh militancy in Punjab.
Dubey wrote,
“In 1984, Indira Gandhi attacked the Golden Temple with British support. British officers were present in Amritsar during the operation. For Congress, the Sikh community has only been a political tool.”
What’s the Background?
Operation Blue Star was launched in June 1984 to remove militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the Golden Temple complex. It led to heavy casualties, including many innocent pilgrims, and deeply hurt Sikh sentiments globally.
While documents in the UK National Archives do show that Britain provided limited advice, there’s no solid evidence so far that British forces were physically involved in the operation. However, the UK government had admitted back in 2014 that they offered a “military adviser” in early 1984—months before the actual operation took place.
Kartarpur Sahib and 1960 Agreement Claims
Dubey didn’t stop at 1984. He also pointed fingers at Sardar Swaran Singh, a Congress leader, alleging that he signed an agreement in 1960 that led to Kartarpur Sahib being permanently given to Pakistan. However, it’s important to clarify here:
- Kartarpur Sahib fell on the Pakistani side of the border during the 1947 Partition.
- In 1960, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan under Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ayub Khan, with Swaran Singh part of the delegation.
The Kartarpur corridor issue wasn’t part of that treaty officially, though there may have been separate diplomatic conversations.
Accusations About Sikh Leaders Being ‘Used’
Dubey also accused Congress of elevating Sikh leaders like Giani Zail Singh and Dr. Manmohan Singh to high offices to allegedly divert public attention from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and protect Congress leaders like H.K.L. Bhagat, Jagdish Tytler, and Sajjan Kumar, who were later implicated in the violence.
“Zail Singh was made President during the Golden Temple attack. In 2004, Manmohan Singh was made Prime Minister to clean up Congress’s image,” he wrote.
Indus Water Treaty & Border Village Claims
In another post, Dubey accused Nehru-era Congress of “gifting away” 80% of India’s river water to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, and claimed several villages like Sarja Majra, Rakh Hardit Singh, and parts of Firozpur were also handed over without proper legal backing.
While the Indus Water Treaty did indeed allocate three rivers to Pakistan and three to India, it has been considered a diplomatic success globally and has survived multiple wars between the two nations.
Congress Yet to Respond
As of now, the Congress party hasn’t issued an official response to Dubey’s latest remarks. But political observers believe this is part of a larger narrative as 2024 General Election debates continue to simmer.