British Sikh MP Demands Inquiry into Thatcher Govt’s Involvement in Operation Bluestar

Britain's opposition Labor Party MP Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi has demanded an independent inquiry into the role of the then British government led by Margaret Thatcher during Operation Blue Star in June 1984 in India.
Image credit: Dawn
Image credit: Dawn

Britain's opposition Labor Party MP Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi has demanded an independent inquiry into the role of the then British government led by Margaret Thatcher during Operation Blue Star in June 1984 in India. Dhesi, Britain's first turbaned Sikh MP, raised the issue in the House of Commons on the occasion of the completion of 36 years of Operation Blue Star, a military campaign at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

British Labor Party MP Dhesi also demanded a discussion on this issue in the UK Parliament. He said, "This week marks 36 years since the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered an attack at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site for Sikhs." He said, despite recent revelations, demands from Britain's Sikh community and its support from the Labor Party and other opposition parties, independent investigations were not conducted to ascertain the role of the Thatcher government in the attack.

Image credit: NDTV
Image credit: NDTV

The demand for an inquiry into the matter a few years ago arose when it was revealed that the British Army had advised the Indian forces prior to Operation Blue Star. The Former Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, ordered an internal inquiry into this. Subsequently a statement was made in Parliament that Britain's role was that of a consultant and that the advice of the Special Air Service had limited impact on that campaign.

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