Ranit Kr. Singh , Chandigarh — Pro-Khalistan slogans were raised and posters of slain extremist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale were displayed inside the Golden Temple premises on Saturday, marking the 42nd anniversary of Operation Blue Star. Demonstrators gathered heavily in front of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhism, to observe the death anniversary of Bhindranwale. He was killed alongside his armed followers on June 6, 1984, when the Indian Army stormed the holiest Sikh shrine under orders from then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to flush out militants stashing weapons inside.

To prevent any escalation and maintain strict law and order, the Punjab Police established a massive, comprehensive security grid across Amritsar and surrounding districts. Nearly 4,000 security personnel, including 2,000 officers pulled from outside the district and 30 gazetted officers, were placed on high alert. Additionally, five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were stationed directly within the city limits to bolster local forces. Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar Sinha, who meticulously reviewed the field deployments ahead of the sensitive occasion, confirmed the extensive mobilization aimed at ensuring a peaceful atmosphere.

Operation Blue Star remains one of the most polarizing events in modern Indian history, having drawn heavy criticism for the structural damage inflicted upon the sacred shrine. The military action triggered deep resentment within the community, ultimately leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her New Delhi residence on October 31, 1984. Decades later, the anniversary continues to spark heightened tensions, demanding maximum security deployment to keep the peace.