The presence of BJP leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan at the June 6 Operation Bluestar event held at the headquarters of Damdami Taksal in Mehta Chowk has put both the Punjab BJP and the SAD in an uncomfortable position.Mahajan’s visit has attracted attention not merely because he became the first serving minister from any state government to attend the annual gathering at Mehta Chowk, but also because of the remarks he made from the stage. It was the first occasion when a BJP leader publicly referred to those who fought against the Army during Operation Bluestar as “shaheeds” (martyrs).Addressing the gathering, Mahajan described Operation Bluestar as an “aakraman” (military attack) and termed June 6 a “black day” in history. He accused then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of forcibly sending the Army into the Golden Temple complex. He paid tributes to those who died during the operation, describing them as martyrs. He also compared the 1984 military action to the historic invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali.Referring to the anti-Sikh violence in November 1984 that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Mahajan said the atrocities committed against the Sikhs were comparable to the injustices of the Abdali period. He expressed regret that despite the deaths of thousands of people, no one had been punished.His remarks stand in contrast to the long-held position of the Punjab BJP, which has consistently opposed attempts to glorify or memorialise Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associates who fought against the Army in 1984. The party has publicly resisted efforts to build memorials in their honour.Senior Akali leaders also generally avoided publicly participating in the annual June 6 gathering at Mehta Chowk. During the years of the BJP-SAD alliance, ideological differences between the two parties over Damdami Taksal became particularly visible at the time of the controversy surrounding the memorial of 1984 inside the Golden Temple complex. At that time, Punjab BJP leaders, led by then state BJP president Kamal Sharma, openly objected to the inclusion of Bhindranwale’s name on the memorial.Mahajan’s presence on the stage displaying portraits of Bhindranwale, the late Maj Gen Shabeg Singh and former All India Sikh Students Federation leader Amrik Singh, and concluding his speech with “Jai Hind” was a rare combination witnessed at Mehta Chowk.The visit is also being viewed through the lens of the evolving political equations.The SAD, which has traditionally projected itself as the principal political representative of Sikh sentiments and has frequently invoked the memory of 1984 in its campaign against the Congress, has generally maintained a cautious distance from the June 6 anniversary events. This year’s gathering again reflected that approach.Although SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami attended the programme, senior Akali Dal leadership, including Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, remained absent. Gargaj and Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhuma have shared a strained relationship in the past, particularly over objections raised regarding Gargaj’s appointment. Last year, Dhuma had publicly opposed the Akal Takht Jathedar to deliver the traditional Ghallughara message from the Akal Takht. However, this year, Dhuma himself missed the Akal Takht function.