Daijiworld Media Network- Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Jun 3: Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann has sparked a fresh political storm with his provocative comment on Operation Sindoor, questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign strategy ahead of the Ludhiana bypoll.

Addressing the media on Monday, CM Mann lashed out at the BJP for what he termed as “trivialising sindoor” – a sacred symbol of marital bond – in its outreach efforts related to the Centre’s counter-terror Operation Sindoor. "BJP is seeking votes in the name of Operation Sindoor. These people have turned 'sindoor' into a joke. They are sending sindoor to every home. Will you now apply sindoor in Prime Minister Modi's name? Is this a 'one nation, one husband' scheme?" Mann questioned, sparking laughter among some supporters, but criticism from political opponents.

The BJP had earlier announced a nationwide campaign to highlight the success of Operation Sindoor – India’s strong retaliatory strike following the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives. While the BJP has denied any official plan to distribute sindoor to households, reports of such symbolic gestures had surfaced in the media, prompting clarifications from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

The Punjab Chief Minister's remarks were not the first to challenge the naming of the military operation. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier criticised the Centre, calling the naming of Operation Sindoor a politically charged move. “The name was their brainchild. It was politically motivated,” Banerjee stated, accusing the Prime Minister of turning a solemn moment into political propaganda. “First, he described himself as a tea-seller. Then, a guard. Now he is here to sell sindoor,” she remarked sharply after PM Modi’s visit to Bengal.

Operation Sindoor, launched in the aftermath of India’s precision strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, was reportedly named by Prime Minister Modi himself. The name 'Sindoor'—a traditional symbol worn by married Hindu women—was chosen to reflect the anguish and sacrifice of the wives of those martyred in the terror attack.

An emotionally evocative image shared by the Indian Army following the airstrikes had the words Operation Sindoor boldly displayed, with one ‘O’ symbolically designed as a bowl of spilled vermilion. The accompanying caption read: “Justice is served. Jai Hind.”

While BJP leaders maintain the operation’s name underscores India’s resolve and honours the grief of the nation’s daughters and wives, opposition leaders have accused the ruling party of exploiting emotion for electoral gains.

With the Ludhiana bypoll drawing near, Operation Sindoor continues to remain at the centre of political discourse, as parties debate where to draw the line between patriotism and politics.