Amid the controversy over honoring the six martyred soldiers of Operation Sindoor, the Defense Ministry has clarified that the media reports and claims circulated on social media regarding making public for the first time the names of the six soldiers who sacrificed their lives during Operation Sindoor are factually incorrect. Timely tribute was paid to these brave soldiers.
Ministry’s statement after Congress’s allegations
This statement of the Defense Ministry has come after the allegations of Congress. Congress leader Pawan Kheda had claimed that the government did not publicly acknowledge the sacrifice of six soldiers sacrificed during Operation Sindoor for a year and their sacrifice was hidden. Without naming anyone, the ministry said that in some media reports and social media posts, it is being wrongly claimed that the sacrifice of these six heroes has now been made public for the first time. The ministry said that this is completely wrong.
DGMO had paid tribute only on 11th May 2025
According to the clarification, in the press conference held on May 11, 2025, the then Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) had paid tribute to these soldiers and mentioned their sacrifice. Along with this, the information about giving gallantry awards to these six brave soldiers was made public in the press release issued on 14 August 2025. This was to recognize his bravery and supreme sacrifice. Tributes were also paid to these soldiers on the social media handles of the army.
‘Inscribing the name on the National War Memorial is part of the protocol’
The clarification said that the Air Force Chief presented Sena Medals to the families of three deceased soldiers at a ceremony on October 8, 2025, and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi during the Army Day Parade held in Jaipur on January 15, 2026. The government has said that inscribing the names of martyred soldiers on the National War Memorial is part of a prescribed and systematic protocol. The government termed the controversy over the issue as unfortunate and said such baseless claims distort facts and can cause unnecessary pain to the families of the martyrs.
‘Heroes of the country who sacrificed their lives for Operation Sindoor’
The Defense Ministry said that the martyrs of Operation Sindoor are the heroes of the country. His courage, devotion to duty and sacrifice will continue to inspire future generations. The country will always remember him with respect, gratitude and reverence. The ministry also said that the names of these six martyrs have been inscribed on wall number 3D of the ‘Tyag Chakra’ of the National War Memorial. These martyrs include Army Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar (VRC), Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Agniveer Mood Muralinayak, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh and Indian Air Force Sergeant Surendra Kumar. Along with their names, the name of their unit has also been recorded.