Punjab Police have strengthened security arrangements across Amritsar and surrounding areas ahead of the Operation Blue Star anniversary on June 6. A comprehensive security grid has been put in place to maintain law and order and ensure public safety during the sensitive period.
Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar Sinha visited Amritsar to review security arrangements and assess the deployment of forces. He said nearly 4,000 police personnel had been deployed across the district to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
Speaking to mediapersons, Sinha said the anniversary of Operation Blue Star was observed every year with various programmes and events, making the security situation particularly sensitive. He said Punjab Police had created a strong security network across the state, especially in Amritsar and surrounding areas.
The Special DGP said five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) had been deployed within the city to strengthen the existing security setup and support local police personnel.
Providing details of the deployment, Sinha said extensive review meetings were held over the past two days and field inspections were carried out. He said around 4,000 police personnel were on duty, including 2,000 policemen and 30 gazetted officers brought in from outside the district. Another 2,000 personnel from the Amritsar police force have also been deployed and remain on high alert.
June 6 marks the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, when the Indian Army entered the Golden Temple complex in 1984 on the orders of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to remove armed militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Authorities at the time said large quantities of weapons had been stockpiled inside the complex.
Bhindranwale, who headed the Damdami Taksal, was killed along with several of his followers during the military operation. The Army launched the operation to flush out militants from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
Operation Blue Star remains one of the most debated events in India's history and drew widespread criticism from several quarters. Later that year, on October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her New Delhi residence by her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh.
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