NEW DELHI (TIP): SGPC’s controversial move honouring family members of the two assassins of General A S Vaidya in the Golden Temple complex came in for attack from Congress as well as the BJP. BJP, sharing power with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, criticised the move with its chief spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad dubbing it “regrettable and unjustifiable”

Making it clear that politics on such a sensitive issue will not be tolerated, Congress warned that those who will fool around with serious subject like terrorism,…. will have to pay.” “It is for the Punjab government to sort it out if these kind of schizhophrenic statements are coming out”, party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said when asked to react over the move, which is being confirmed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), but denied by the state government.

The move has come amid a raging debate over raising of a memorial for those killed during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The kin of Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, who were executed on October nine, 1992, were honoured by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, two days back. The SGPC, controlled by the ruling SAD, also hailed the General’s killers as Sikh martyrs sparking a row. The SGPC organised an Akhand Path at the Akal Takht to mark the 20th execution anniversary of the two assassins.

The function was presided over by SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh. Gen Vaidya was the Chief of Army Staff when Operation Blue Star was launched by the Army to flush out militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale from the Golden Temple. A number of militants, soldiers and pilgrims were killed during the Operation. Sukha and Jinda had assassinated General Vaidya in 1986 in Pune where he had settled down after his retirement. They were hanged in 1992 and since ’93 the SGPC has been been organising their death anniversary every year on October nine and honouring their family members.