Samajwadi Party (SP) national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav has ignited a fresh controversy with remarks about the castes of Indian Air Force (IAF) officers involved in media briefings regarding "Operation Sindoor". Yadav's comments, made in Moradabad, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of exploiting "Operation Sindoor" for political gain through "Tiranga Yatras".

Yadav specifically mentioned Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Air Marshal A. K. Bharti, who were part of the media briefings on Operation Sindoor. He alleged that the BJP would have attacked these officers based on their castes, similar to how they allegedly targeted Colonel Sofiya Qureshi due to her religion. Yadav stated that the BJP did not know Vyomika Singh was a Jatav from Haryana and Air Marshal Bharti was a Yadav from Purnia; otherwise, they would have been abused. He grouped the three officers as constituents of the "Pichhda-Dalit-Alpsankhyak (PDA) bloc".

"Operation Sindoor" involved senior officers from India's armed forces addressing the nation and reaffirming commitment to a ceasefire while refuting misinformation from Pakistan. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi refuted claims about damage to strategic assets and religious sites, emphasizing India's secular values. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh echoed these sentiments, stating that Indian operations targeted terrorist facilities, not civilian or religious infrastructure. Air Marshal Bharti, the Indian Air Force's Director General of Air Operations (DGAO), confirmed that the objectives of "Operation Sindoor" were achieved and all pilots returned home.

Yadav's remarks drew strong condemnation, including from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who criticized the SP leader's "narrow-mindedness" and said that it was against the honor of the armed forces. Adityanath emphasized that every soldier performs "Rashtradharma" and does not represent any particular caste or religion. He further added that such "distorted casteist mentality" divides the nation.