Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal said on Saturday that senior party leader P Chidambaram's remark on the 1984 Operation Blue Star reflected his personal opinion.
"Terrorism had increased in the country during that period, and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had to lose her life because of the same. Whatever Chidambaram said must be considered his personal view," Sapkal added.
What Did P Chidambaram Say On Op Blue Star?
On Saturday, P Chidambaram criticised Operation Blue Star under the Indira Gandhi-led government in 1984, describing it as "the wrong way," and said that the former prime minister paid with her life for the "mistake."
Speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival 2025 on Saturday, Chidambaram, the former Union home and finance minister, said that Operation Black Thunder was the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple, by keeping the Army out of the Sikh worship place.
READ: 'Pressure Because Of Criminal Case?' A P Chidambaram Problem For Congress
"No disrespect to any military officers here, but that (Blue Star) was the wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. A few years later, we showed the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple by keeping out the army," Chidambaram said.
"Mrs Gandhi (former PM Indira Gandhi) paid with her life for that mistake. It was a cumulative decision of the Army, Police, intelligence, and the civil services. You cannot blame it only on Mrs Gandhi," he added.
The Congress leadership is upset with his remark. Chidambaram is already facing flak over his statement on the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai in 2008.
Raj-Uddhav Meeting Welcomed
Meanwhile, reacting to the recent meeting between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress Chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said that his party had no objection to the Thackeray cousins coming together.
"We are part of the INDIA alliance. If two brothers meet and talk, it's good for unity. The alliance partners will decide on future participation," he said.
'RTI Is People's Power'
Marking 20 years of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Sapkal said the law was one of Congress' key contributions to deepening democracy.
READ: Team Thackeray Protests Over Farmers' Distress, Demands Loan Waiver
"RTI gave every citizen the right to question power. But under the Modi government, it has been steadily weakened, posts left vacant, and access to data reduced. Citizens must raise their voices to protect it," he said.
Warning Over Soybean Prices
Sapkal also hit out at the Maharashtra government over falling soybean prices. He said that despite a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 5,400 per quintal, farmers were being forced to sell at Rs 3,200-Rs 3,700.
"If the government cannot ensure fair prices, it should buy the crop itself at MSP. Otherwise, ministers will not be allowed to move freely in the state," he warned.
