HC seeks response on Sikh articles seized during Operation Blue Star

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Army, the Centre and the CBI on a plea seeking directions for disclosure of manuscripts, religious books and other articles allegedly seized during Operation Blue Star and handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Ramesh Kumari passed these directions on Monday while hearing the plea filed by a Ludhiana resident in 2019.

The petitioner sought directions to the SGPC for the whereabouts of the religious texts, manuscripts and other articles that were allegedly seized during Operation Blue Star and given to the SGPC.

Operation Blue Star was a military operation undertaken between June 1 and June 10, 1984, against Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale-led armed militants who were holed up in the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

In November 2019, the high court issued a notice of motion to the SGPC only. But during subsequent hearings, the SGPC stated that some items were returned, and some articles were still in the possession of the CBI, the Centre and the Army.

Petitioner Satinder Singh, who described himself as a devout Sikh, submitted that during Operation Blue Star, the articles were seized from the Sikh Reference Library, Toshakhana, Central Sikh Museum and Guru Ramdas Library of the Golden Temple Complex. The petitioner sought directions for the preparation of lists of manuscripts, artifacts and literature removed on June 7, 1984.

The petitioner also sought directions for the preparation of a list of manuscripts, religious texts and other articles returned to the SGPC.

It was further prayed that manuscripts, religious books and other articles be restored to the libraries, the Central Sikh Museum and Toshakhana in the Golden Temple Complex.

These should be made available to the public for ‘darshan’, reading and research purposes, submitted the petitioner. 

While issuing notices, the HC on Monday asked the respondents to file their replies on whether they are in possession of the articles.