The UK government is investigating its alleged involvement in Operation Bluestar - the 1984 military raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Newly declassified government letters appear to show that New Delhi had requested British advice over a plan to flush out militants holed up at Sikhism's holiest shrine. Lieutenant General (retired) KS Brar, who headed the operation, shares his take on the controversy here: I am not aware of any declassified documents in the UK that show its alleged assistance in planning Operation Bluestar. I am not aware of the fact that Mrs Gandhi asked Margaret Thatcher for help. Nor am I aware of the fact that Margaret Thatcher decided to give us help and send some SAS people here as is being reported. As far as I am concerned, the planning was done entirely by the Indian Army commandos and the execution was done by us also. There was no question of any help or any assistance or any guidance by the British government. (
Read: In UK and India, the controversy over Operation Bluestar)
I think the UK must probe the authenticity of these documents and so must the Indian government. There should a probe in New Delhi also in the Prime Minister's Office about these documents. (
Read: Britain says no evidence yet of UK role in Operation Bluestar)
These are political matters between the two countries. They don't concern the Indian Army. They don't concern Operation Bluestar, and let me tell you emphatically, the planning and conduct of Bluestar was done entirely by the Indian Army commandos without any help, from the British government.
No strategic help, no logistic help. No help was taken from the British government. It was purely and entirely an Indian Army operation. We are a professional army. I don't think we require anyone's help. So I am not aware of what this communication is between the two prime ministers. I think it is necessary for the two governments to carry out their probes because none of this information was passed on to the Indian Army.
The circumstances were that the talks had broken down between Mrs Gandhi and the SGPC and the Akali Dal and Mrs Gandhi had taken a decision to launch Bluestar and the orders were given to me on June 1 by my Army commander General Sundarji and planning started on June 1 between me and the Army commander. Plans were presented to the Army chief and I'm sure he presented them to the prime minister and then when we were ready, we went in.
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