Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again landed himself in hot water, not with foreign adversaries this time, but with the very citizens he claims to champion. His latest political stunt, dramatically dubbed “Operation Sindoor”, has sparked widespread ridicule and sharp criticism across India, particularly from women who aren’t buying the symbolism, or the spin.
Indian women have fiercely called out Modi, branding him a “sindoor ka saudagar”, a merchant of meaningless symbolism. “A man who couldn’t respect the meaning of sindoor in his own life has no business exploiting it for political mileage,” said one protester. Another chimed in, “Calling it Operation Sindoor doesn’t hide the failures. It’s not lipstick on a pig, it’s sindoor on a scandal.”
But the outrage isn’t limited to rhetoric. The Indian public is asking real, pointed questions:
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Why have the widows of the Pahalgam attack not received justice or support?
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How did militants escape unscathed despite heavy troop presence in the region?
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Why was a ceasefire agreed upon at the behest of Donald Trump, and where was the Prime Minister when the victims needed him most?
While the wounded families grieve and wait for answers, Modi has been busy campaigning in Bihar, playing to the crowd, and pretending nothing’s wrong. The disconnect between the ground reality and his election theatrics has left many Indians seething.
Political analysts suggest Modi’s latest manoeuvre was meant to distract from domestic failures by whipping up nationalist sentiment against Pakistan. But this time, the stunt seems to have backfired spectacularly, earning him international embarrassment and internal backlash.
Critics argue that the BJP-led government’s obsession with optics over action is reaching dangerous levels. “Modi isn’t leading a country, he’s producing a never-ending soap opera,” remarked one political commentator. “Unfortunately, the script’s wearing thin, and the audience is waking up.”
With elections looming and tempers flaring, Modi may find that sindoor alone won’t cover the cracks in his leadership.
