British security service officials visited Golden Temple: Book

AMRITSAR: Amid claims that the Margaret Thatcher government might have helped Indira Gandhi plan Operation Blue Star, radical Sikh group Dal Khalsa today said a former RAW official had mentioned in his book that British Security Service officers visited the Golden Temple to assess the ground situation before giving their advice to Gandhi.

Spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said B Raman, who authored "The Kaoboys of R&AW" in 2007, wrote in the chapter 'The Khalistani Terrorism' that on the request of R N Kao, the then special adviser to Indian Prime Minister, two officers of the British Security Service visited the Golden Temple as tourists and gave their advice to Indira Gandhi.

"One thing is now clear that British government was engaged and their advice was sought and the latter did oblige. However, there is a grey area as to what they had advised and whether that advice was taken into account or just ignored by Indira Gandhi," Singh said.