Op Sindoor row escalates as Congress seeks Rajnath's exit, Modi's apology

The Congress on Monday accused Union defence minister Rajnath Singh of misleading Parliament by stating that there had been "no harm" caused to Indian soldiers during Operation Sindoor and demanded his resignation, along with a public apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Opposition party alleged that the government concealed the supreme sacrifice of six military personnel during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, thereby denying them due honour in what it described as an "insult to our soldiers".

Addressing a press conference alongside wing commander Anuma Acharya (retd), Congress ex-servicemen department chief Col Rohit Chaudhry (retd) alleged that while the BJP frequently invoked the armed forces for political purposes, it had failed to honour those who laid down their lives in service.

"When defence minister Rajnath Singh was lying in Parliament that no soldier had been martyred, the BJP MPs were clapping. None of these people have the right to sit in the House. Rajnath Singh has insulted the country's Army and soldiers — we demand his resignation and a breach of privilege motion against him," Chaudhry said.

The controversy resurfaced after the names of six military personnel — five from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Air Force — who died in the line of duty during Operation Sindoor in 2025 were recently inscribed on a wall at the National War Memorial. It marked the first time since the military operation that the government publicly released the names of the six personnel.

Amid the political row, the defence ministry said the nation had paid homage to the fallen personnel at the "earliest opportunity" and that their memory would always be honoured with the dignity and reverence it deserved.

The government has also rejected allegations that the defence minister denied any fatalities during the operation. It said social media posts had "misrepresented" Singh's address in Parliament in July 2025 by selectively quoting an isolated portion of his speech to falsely suggest that he had claimed "no Indian soldier lost his life during Operation Sindoor".

However, Chaudhry maintained that Singh had overlooked the soldiers' sacrifice. "Singh lied in the House that no soldier was lost in 'Operation Sindoor'. Inside the BJP, only lies are told and deception is carried out... The foundation of the Modi government is built on lies; they have no right to remain in power," he alleged.

Questioning the delay in officially naming the fallen personnel, Chaudhry asked why it had taken 13 months for the identities of the "martyred soldiers" to be made public.

Listing the Congress' demands, he said, "Defence minister Rajnath Singh should be removed from his position. We urge our party to bring a breach of privilege motion against the defence minister. PM Narendra Modi and BJP MPs should publicly apologise for supporting Rajnath Singh's lies. Also, the Agniveer scheme should be completely abolished."

Acharya alleged that governments before the BJP had maintained the tradition of publicly honouring every soldier who made the supreme sacrifice for the country. "But the Modi government, which politicises the army and soldiers, has repeatedly betrayed the country and the soldiers," she said.

With PTI inputs