Punjab CM sparks controversy with ‘One Nation, One Husband’ remark targeting BJP

In a remark that has ignited political controversy, Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Singh Mann has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trivializing cultural symbols, saying the party had turned “sindoor” into a joke.

Taking a sharp dig at the BJP, Chief Minister Mann questioned whether the ruling party at the Centre was now pushing a “one nation, one husband” agenda, a comment that has drawn criticism from several quarters for its tone and timing.

Advertisement

“BJP has made sindoor, a sacred symbol of marriage, a subject of mockery. Is this some kind of ‘one nation, one husband’ scheme now,” asked Chief Minister Mann, in an apparent reference to recent political rhetoric and campaigns that have sparked debates over family values and cultural narratives.

The Punjab Chief Minister, who was speaking to the media on Tuesday, made the remark when he was asked to comment on the BJP workers seeking votes in the name of ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the by-poll for Ludhiana West Assembly seat.

The high-profile Ludhiana West Assembly seat is set for a high-stakes battle. The BJP has fielded its senior leader Jiwan Gupta to take on the Congress heavyweight and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora and Shiromani Akali Dal leader and advocate Parupkar Singh Ghumman.

It is worth noting that the BJP recently announced a nationwide campaign to showcase Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s success in Operation Sindoor – India’s counter-strike to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 innocents dead.

Hitting back at Chief Minister Mann, Punjab BJP’s senior spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal wrote on social media platform X, “@BhagwantMann crosses all limits! Mocking Operation Sindoor, he shamelessly asks: Will you wear sindoor in Modi’s name? Is this One Nation, One Husband?”

Baliawal further wrote, “Let’s set the record straight: There is NO BJP activity sending sindoor to every household. 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?”

He added, “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, and devotion. This isn’t humour. This is shamelessness wearing a CM’s turban. You haven’t insulted BJP, Mr. Mann — You’ve insulted every soldier’s widow, every grieving wife, and the spirit of Bharat. Bhagwant Mann must RESIGN immediately and APOLOGISE to the entire nation.”