Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has sparked a row by terming Operation Blue Star a 'black day' and dubbing those killed in the military action 'martyrs'.
Addressing a gathering in Amritsar, Mahajan likened the Army action to the invasion of the Golden Temple by Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali.
He alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi had forcibly sent the Army into Punjab and inside the sacred complex, and that Sikhs were brutally killed without punishment.
Congress leaders in Maharashtra have reacted strongly, accusing the BJP of raising the Khalistan issue ahead of elections in Punjab and adopting a contradictory stand for political gains.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded Mahajan's sacking from the state cabinet, while Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant accused the BJP of lacking understanding of history and sensitive national issues.
