High-level meet to review security of Bluestar veterans

The government has convened a high-level meeting next week to review the security of Lt Gen (Retd) K S Brar and others who were involved in the Operation Bluestar against Sikh terrorists in the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Secretary RK Singh, and to be attended by Army, Maharashtra police and others, will also review whether there was any security lapse anywhere leading to the assassination attempt on 78-year-old Brar on Sunday.

There will be a thorough stock-taking to find out whether any communication gap led to the attack on Brar as he had claimed that he had informed local military officials about his travel plan. The home ministry denied receiving any such communication.

The government had decided to continue the 'Z' category security being provided to Brar at a review meeting held on June 6.

The security of other Army officers, who were involved in the operation to flush out militants hiding in Golden Temple, will also be reviewed in the meeting.

Ever since Operation Bluestar, the Army soldiers are guarding the officers, who were leading it, on the basis of the security assessment made by the home ministry.

Brar, who was stabbed in the neck and cheek near Oxford Street in London on September 30 when he was walking down to his hotel with his wife, had said he was convinced that the attackers were pro-Khalistan elements and they intended to kill him.