<P> The Government justified the timing stating that the mission to arrest Bhindranwale anymore could not be delayed any more as he was going to be more aggressive in his approach towards killings of Hindus . Bhindranwale was about to launch a fierce movement planned to murder Hindus in all the villages across Punjab . Plans included killings of All congress (I) MPs and MLAs on 5th June . According to Amarjit Kaur, Bhindranwale wanted to start a civil war between the Hindus and Sikhs . Before the Operation Blue Star started, there was already a rise in the killings of Hindus and 23 people were killed in the final 24 hours before the announcement of the operation . The spate in killings confirmed the doubts of the government which then decided that the operation had to be initiated soon . </P> <P> When asked about why the Army entered the temple premises just after Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom day (when the number of devotees is much higher), General Brar said that it was just a coincidence and Army had only three to four days to complete the operation . Based on the intelligence sources Bhindranwale was planning to declare Khalistan an independent country any moment with support from Pakistan . Khalistani currency had already been distributed . This declaration would have increased chances of Punjab Police and security personnel siding with Bhindranwale . The Army waited for the surrender of militants on the night of June 5 but the surrender did not happen . The operation had to be completed before dawn . Otherwise, exaggerated messages of Army besieging the temple would have attracted mobs from nearby villages to the temple premises . The Army could not have fired upon these civilians . More importantly, Pakistan would have come in the picture, declaring its support for Khalistan . He described the operation as traumatic and painful, but necessary . </P> <P> Before the attack by the Army, a media blackout was imposed in Punjab . The Times reporter Michael Hamlyn reported that journalists were picked up from their hotels at 5 a.m. in a military bus, taken to the adjoining border of the state of Haryana and "were abandoned there ." The main towns in Punjab were put under curfew, transportation was banned, a news blackout was imposed, and Punjab was "cut off from the outside world ." A group of journalists who later tried to drive into Punjab were stopped at the road block at Punjab border and were threatened with being shot if they proceeded . Indian nationals who worked with the foreign media also were banned from the area . The press criticized these actions by government as an "obvious attempt to attack the temple without the eyes of the foreign press on them ." The media blackout throughout Punjab resulted in spread of rumours . The only available source of information during the period was All India Radio and Doordarshan channel . </P> <P> The militants used pilgrims trapped inside the temple as human shields, to prevent the attack by the army . The civilians were prevented from leaving the complex during the ease in curfew . This led to large number of civilian deaths . </P>

Photos of golden temple after operation blue star