KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India’s veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh caused an outrage on social media on Sunday, June 6 as he posted a story on his official Instagram handle supporting the Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Jarnail was a threat to humankind and was thus killed in Operation Blue Star inside the Golden Temple on June 6, 1984. Sunday marked the 37th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. On the occasion, Harbhajan shared a post on Instagram labeling Jarnail Singh as a martyr and paying his tribute to the Khalistani terrorist.
The glorification of a terrorist didn’t go down well with many Indian citizens especially the Sikh community as they accused the cricketer of creating a wrong image of the Sikhs.
The 40-year-old faced a lot of flak on social media and was trending for quite some time. However, the Indian veteran finally broke his silence as he posted a long note on his official Twitter handle to apologize for his mistake and clarifying his stance on the whole matter.
The Jalandhar-born asserted that he had no idea about the poster he shared on Instagram as he received it as a Whatsapp forward and posted it without any verification. The spinner added that it was a mistake and he takes full responsibility for the same. Harbhajan also clarified that he has given his blood and sweat for the country and will never do anything that can harm the nation.
“I just wish to clarify and apologize for an Instagram post yesterday. It was a WhatsApp forward that I posted in haste without even realizing the content used and what it signified or stood for. That was my mistake I accept, and at no stage do I subscribe to the views on that post or support the people whose pictures were carried.
“I am a Sikh who will fight for India and not against India. This is my unconditional apology for hurting the sentiments of my nation in fact any anti-national group against my people I do not support and never will. I have given my blood and sweat for this country for 20 years and will never ever support anything that is anti-India,” Harbhajan wrote.