‘One Nation, One Husband’: BJP slams Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for comment on Operation Sindoor

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stirred a controversy on Tuesday by claiming that the BJP was planning to start a campaign titled ‘Ghar Ghar Sindoor Abhiyan’ and accused the ruling party at Centre of politicising sacred Indian traditions for electoral gains.

“What can we do about it? You are asking votes in name of sindoor. They have made a mockery of sindoor,” Mann said while campaigning for the upcoming Ludhiana West Assembly byelection.

The BJP has denied that it is launching any such drive.

“They are saying they will send sindoor to every household. If sindoor is sent to your home, will you put sindoor in Modi’s name? Is ‘One Nation, One Husband’ your new scheme?,” Mann said.

The Punjab CM’s comments drew sharp criticism, and BJP’s Pritpal Singh Balliawal called it “shameful”.

“He is mocking Operation Sindoor. The BJP isn’t sending ‘sindoor’ to every household. Operation Sindoor was named so because terrorists killed Hindu tourists after checking their religion — they identified victims through the ‘sindoor’ on their wife’s forehead. The operation was about terrorism, martyrdom and the protection of Indian lives. A man who mocks the Army, insults veer naris and turns every sacred symbol into a joke will never understand the value of ‘sindoor’. It signifies sacrifice, love and devotion,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Tuesday that Bhagwant Mann must apologise for his remark and resign from his post of Punjab chief minister.

Accusing Mann of having “zero sensitivity”, the BJP spokesperson criticised him for mocking the Indian Army, insulting veer naris, and turning sacred symbols into jokes.

“Let’s set the record straight: There is NO BJP activity of sending sindoor to households. The name Operation Sindoor was used because terrorists were killing Hindus after checking their religion -- sindoor was a marker they used to identify women. This operation was about terrorism, martyrdom, and the protection of Indian lives, but how would Bhagwant Mann, a man with zero sensitivity, understand that? Such a person will never understand the value of sindoor, which carries sacrifice, love, and devotion,” he said in a post.

“Bhagwant Mann must resign immediately and apologise to the entire nation,” the BJP spokesperson further said.

On May 7, India had launched the ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in which 26 people were killed.

Indian armed forces had targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.