'One nation, one husband': Punjab CM Mann stirs row over Operation Sindoor; 'disgraceful', says BJP

Chandigarh: A political controversy erupted on Tuesday over Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's "one nation, one husband" remark, with the BJP accusing him of insulting the widows of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Mann Tuesday took a dig at the BJP over Operation Sindoor, accusing it of seeking votes in the name of 'sindoor' (vermillion) and asked if it had started a "one nation, one husband" scheme.

Calling Mann's remarks "disgraceful", Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said the chief minister has "insulted" the widows of those killed in the Pahalgam attack and demanded an unconditional apology from him.

Mann made the remarks while talking to reporters after chairing a cabinet meeting here.

When asked about the BJP allegedly seeking votes in the name of Operation Sindoor for the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, Mann said, "(They are) seeking votes in the name of sindoor. They have turned sindoor into a joke. Haven't you seen that?"

"If they come to your house (with sindoor), will you apply 'sindoor' in the name of Modi. Is it a 'one nation, one husband' scheme?" he asked.

The bypoll to Ludhiana West assembly seat in Punjab will take place on June 19.

Meanwhile, the Punjab BJP slammed Mann for his 'one nation, one husband' remarks, saying the chief minister has "crossed all limits".

"There is no BJP activity sending sindoor to every household. The term Operation Sindoor was used because terrorists were killing Hindu men after checking their religion -- sindoor was a marker they used to identify women," said BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Balliawal.

"This operation was about terrorism, martyrdom, and the protection of Indian lives. But how would Bhagwant Mann, a man with zero sensitivity, understand that? A man who mocks the Indian Army, insults Veer Naris, turns every sacred symbol into a joke...such a person will never understand the value of sindoor, which carries sacrifice, love. This isn't humour," said Balliawal in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, when Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was asked by reporters here that the BJP is "seeking" votes in the name of Operation Sindoor, he said it should not happen that "the BJP starts distributing 'sindoor' door to door".

Warring said otherwise, the BJP people will face the ire of Punjabi women, asserting that applying 'sindoor' to a woman is the right of her husband only.

In a statement, Union minister Bittu lashed out at CM Mann for allegedly ridiculing Operation Sindoor. He alleged that Mann made a "cheap political commentary" on a sensitive national security issue.

"I never expected that Bhagwant Mann would stoop so low by mocking the widows of Pahalgam using the disgraceful phrase 'one nation, one husband'," Bittu said, referring to Mann's controversial remarks.

The Union minister also accused the ruling AAP in Punjab of politicizing the army's brave actions and undermining the sacrifices of soldiers and their families.

"The Indian Army carried out a commendable operation. But the decision to give them the green signal was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a leader in whom the nation has complete faith," Bittu said.

He demanded an unconditional apology from Mann for his "crass" remarks.

"You may be a former comedian, but that does not give you the right to mock the widows of martyrs or the valour of our armed forces," Bittu said.

Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on May 7 on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.