Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has revealed in her upcoming memoir that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was visibly moved to tears upon seeing photographs of the destruction caused during Operation Blue Star in June 1984. The disclosure, made ahead of the book's release, has reignited a sharp political debate, with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) challenging the Congress to meet families who lost loved ones in the violence.

What Sonia Gandhi's Book Reveals

In her memoir titled 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', scheduled for release on Tuesday, 11 November 2026, Sonia Gandhi recounts the emotional toll that Operation Blue Star had on her mother-in-law. Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the launch, she recalled that when Indira Gandhi was shown images of the devastation inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, 'tears rolled down her face.'

Sonia Gandhi also described how Indira Gandhi appeared to anticipate the grave danger she faced following the military operation, and had begun preparing her family for the worst. 'She told us what to do in case she died — so she knew,' Sonia Gandhi was quoted as saying. 'She was making preparations for her death. She told Rahul he must be brave and not to cry,' she added.

Sonia Gandhi further said she believed Indira Gandhi's visit to Kashmir with her grandchildren that summer was an attempt to say goodbye to them.

SAD's Sharp Reaction

The revelations drew an immediate and pointed response from the Shiromani Akali Dal. SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler questioned Congress's expression of anguish, alleging that the operation was carried out as part of a larger conspiracy against the Sikh community and amounted to an assault on Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Kler stated that the pain inflicted by Operation Blue Star would remain in the hearts of Sikhs for generations. Drawing a parallel with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, he said, 'The Congress committed genocide against Sikhs, and innocent Sikhs were murdered.'

He challenged the Congress leadership to speak directly to families who lost members and whose homes were burnt during the violence, saying only then could they begin to understand the depth of communal suffering.

Congress Defends Its Position

Congress working president Raj Kumar Verka pushed back, stating the party had never justified Operation Blue Star and had consistently stood with Punjab and its people. Verka cited visits by both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to the Golden Temple as evidence of the leadership's respect for the Sikh shrine and the community.

Historical Context of Operation Blue Star

Operation Blue Star was launched by the Indian Army in June 1984 to flush out armed militants who had occupied the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The operation caused significant damage to the shrine, including to Sri Akal Takht Sahib, and continues to represent one of the most sensitive and contested chapters in Indian history.

Months later, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her New Delhi residence by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The killing was widely attributed to their desire for retribution over the operation. This was followed by widespread anti-Sikh violence across the country, particularly in Delhi.

The release of Sonia Gandhi's memoir and the political reactions it has already provoked suggest the wounds of 1984 remain far from healed, and are likely to remain a contested flashpoint as the book reaches wider audiences.