SGPC honours Gen Vaidya's assassins,sparks controversy

 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, yesterday.
     

The SGPC, controlled by the ruling SAD, also hailed the Gen's killers as Sikh martyrs sparking a row even as debate raged over constructing a Blue Star memorial in the holy city.  The SGPC organised an Akhand Path at the Akal Takht to mark the 20th execution anniversary of the two assassins.  The function to honour the relatives of Sukha and Jinda 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.hey 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.

The SGPC presented shiropas (robes of honour) to Sukha's mother Surjit Kaur and Jinda?s brother Bhupinder Singh on the occasion yesterday.