New Delhi: The Congress has demanded Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s resignation, accusing him of insulting the martyrs of “Operation Sindoor” and alleging he lied to Parliament about casualties. The party also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MPs to apologise for endorsing Singh’s remarks.
The charge came after the names of six soldiers reportedly martyred during Operation Sindoor were released. Congress criticised the government for concealing those names and for failing to inform the public, while the Defence Ministry refuted the allegations, saying claims that the sacrifices were only recently acknowledged are “incorrect” and that the nation paid homage to the fallen at the earliest opportunity, as reported by ETV Bharat.
Speaking at a press briefing at Congress headquarters here on Monday, Col (Retd) Rohit Chaudhary, chairman of the party’s Ex-Servicemen Department, and Wing Commander (Retd) Anuma Acharya, said the Defence Minister had disregarded and insulted the soldiers. “Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has insulted the martyrs of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and overlooked them. He lied in the House that our soldiers had suffered no loss,” he asserted.
Chaudhary accused the BJP of exploiting soldiers for votes while failing to honour them in practice. He targeted both Singh and BJP MPs for applauding the Defence Minister’s statements in Parliament. “When Rajnath Singh was lying in Parliament that no soldier had suffered any loss, BJP MPs were clapping. None of these people have the right to sit in the House. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has insulted the country’s Army and soldiers. We demand his resignation. A breach of privilege motion should be brought against him,” he said.
He accused the government of resting its credibility on falsehoods and questioned the 13-month delay in naming the martyrs. “The foundation of the Modi government is built on lies. They have no right to remain in power. The country is asking why it took 13 months for the names of our martyred soldiers to come forward. This is tampering with national security because when a soldier is martyred for the country, his regiment feels pride and his martyrdom sets an example. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MPs should apologise for supporting the Defence Minister’s lies,” Chaudhary said.
On Operation Sindoor, he said the government missed a chance to recover Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and slammed its foreign policy, adding: “The Modi government missed the opportunity to bring back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during ‘Operation Sindoor’. Our foreign policy has been extremely weak. We had to send 60 parliamentarians abroad so they could tell the world our side of the story.”
Wing Commander (Retd) Acharya reiterated the sentiment, saying the current government has eroded the UPA-era custom of publicly honouring soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. “Before the BJP government came to power, there was a tradition that whoever made the supreme sacrifice for the country was publicly honoured with gratitude. But the Modi government, which politicises the Army and soldiers, has repeatedly cheated the country and the soldiers.”
She accused the government of hypocrisy in its dealings with Pakistan and pressed for Singh’s resignation. “The government showed double standards by playing cricket with the same Pakistan that had inflicted a major wound on us. This was an insult to our martyrs, but this government could not even get Pakistan declared a terrorist country. The Defence Minister should resign,” she said.
