The veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Monday put out the clarification on his Instagram story he shared on Sunday, June 6 allegedly paying tribute to the Khalistan terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The player explained on Twitter on Monday admitting his mistake on putting a ‘WhatsApp forward’ willy-nilly in a ‘haste’.
Netizens over various social platforms trended against the former Indian player Harbhajan Singh for paying tribute to the Khalistan terrorist who was killed along with his supporters during Operation Bluestar inside the Golden Temple. The post had a picture with the caption “Pranaam Shaheeda nu” which meant “a heartfelt tribute to the martyr”.
The clarification letter posted on his official Twitter handle read “I just wish to clarify for an Instagram post yesterday. It was a WhatsApp forward that I posted in a haste without even realizing the content used and what it signified or stood for.”
It further reads “I am a Sikh who will fight for India and not against India. This is my unconditional apology for hurting the sentiments of my nation.” He apologized for the doings a day before and concluded with a ‘Jay Hind’ chant.
My heartfelt apology to my people..🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/S44cszY7lh
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 7, 2021
What was Operation Blue Star?
The terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was born in 1947 and chosen as the head of the Sikh religious Institution Damdami Taksaal in 1977.
Delivering a fiery speech against the members of the Nirankari sect for taking out processions throughout the streets of Amritsar for the killing of Sant Kartar Singh in a road mishap, Jarnail Singh rose to stature as the head of the institution on Baisakhi day of 1978.
During those times Shiromani Akali Dal held the power in Punjab and to get the throne Congress allegedly decided to support Bhindranwale to challenge the ruling party. Bhindranwale also campaigned for a few of the Congress leaders in 1980 after which Indira Gandhi came back to power. However, things misaligned as the preacher asked for a separate nation for the Sikh community- a theocratic nation of Khalistan.
Subsequently, he and his supporters took over the Akal Takht complex and Golden Temple in Amritsar to shelter refugees and criminal elements. Over time, the militant used to handle the militancy from within the Golden Temple.
However, to neutralize the Sikh militancy, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered operation Blue Star to the Indian Army wing to take charge and neutralize the situation there. The operation was carried out from June 1 to June 8 and it’s been 37 years of the operation now which claimed many lives.
The temple was freed from the clutches of the militants but few months after the news of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came in on October 31, 1984, by two of her own Sikh bodyguards namely Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.
The post of the erstwhile off-spinner grabbed massive outrage of the netizens as the post through his official account paid tribute to such terrorists on the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star.
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How can a man say he loves India and then glorify a terrorist who killed thousands? How would Americans treat an athlete who says he loves America but thinks Osama is a martyr?
Bhajji's record now leaves a bitter taste. India was proud of your record because it was proud of you.
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) June 7, 2021
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So @harbhajan_singh not only praised a declared terroríst, but praised someone who wanted India to be partitioned again & have kÍlled Hindus in large number. Shameful!
India has been proud of his records, but here comes the reality check.#HarbhajanSingh pic.twitter.com/Js8ucPwSIt
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) June 7, 2021
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It gives doubt to mind on the nationality of such people who prove to be living and dying for the nation. When such instances come, it clears the air and the then accused come out to apologize for the wrongdoings. Apologies have somewhere lost credibility in some cases as huge names have their lowest values.
[author title=”Shreya Gohel” image=”http://localhost/gc2/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210127_014031.jpg”]Journalist, Goa Chronicle
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