Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Hundreds of citizens took part in the Tiranga Yatra on Thursday to express gratitude to the armed forces for Operation Sindoor.
The apolitical rally organised by BJP commenced at Sirur grounds on Sampige Road in Malleswaram and culminated at 18th cross in the locality. A massive Tricolour was at the beginning of the procession. It was joined in by students, ex-servicemen, women, citizens and BJP leaders, chanting patriotic slogans and singing ‘Vande Mataram’.
Importantly, leaders made it clear that the event was held under the national flag, not the flag of any political party.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said, “This is a fight for the nation, not for any party. The entire country is united behind our armed forces.”
Among those honoured during the yatra were the women members of the families of victims from the state in the dastardly terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22.
Those who spoke on the occasion described Operation Sindoor as both a military success and a symbolic response to assaults on Indian womanhood. Kshama Naragund, a lawyer, said, “Sindoor is not just a symbol of marriage. It represents the dignity, strength and spirit of Indian womanhood. Operation Sindoor is a response to those who tried to wipe that sindoor away.”
She described the ‘tiranga yatra’ as a march of gratitude and reverence for the armed forces, who, she said, protected not just the nation’s borders, but also its values.
Adding to the symbolism of the event, retired Air Marshal A V Murali shared insights into the execution of Operation Sindoor, highlighting the key role played by women officers.
“From planning to combat coordination, women in uniform were at the forefront — proving yet again that courage has no gender,” he said.
The Kargil war veteran said Operation Sindoor was not over yet, adding that if provoked again, India would respond with even greater force and that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would inevitably be reclaimed.
He described the present ceasefire as merely a “pause button” in the larger strategic framework of national defence.