No delay in honouring Operation Sindoor heroes: Defence Ministry

Amid a political row over the six personnel killed during Operation Sindoor, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday that the nation had paid homage to them at the "earliest opportunity" and that their memory would always be honoured with dignity, gratitude and reverence. It said the fallen personnel had already been formally recognised through tributes, gallantry awards and ceremonial honours.

The statement came after the Congress accused the government of concealing the sacrifice of the six bravehearts for a year by not recognising their martyrdom. The ministry rejected that charge, saying reports and social media posts suggesting that their sacrifice had been acknowledged only recently were incorrect.

Without naming anyone, the ministry said "certain reports circulating in sections of the media and on social media platforms have incorrectly suggested that the supreme sacrifice of six bravehearts during Operation Sindoor have been acknowledged or brought to public notice for the first time only recently". It added, "It is clarified that the nation paid homage to these fallen heroes at the earliest opportunity, well before the reports in question."

The ministry said that during an official press conference on May 11, 2025, the then director general of military operations had paid solemn tribute to the soldiers and specifically acknowledged their sacrifice in the line of duty during Operation Sindoor. It also said the six personnel were "conferred with gallantry awards" and that this was published in a press release on August 14, 2025, constituting "a formal and national recognition of their valour and supreme sacrifice".

According to the ministry, the Indian Army's official social media platforms also carried tributes to the personnel "without delay". It added that during the Army Day Parade in Jaipur on January 15 this year, the Chief of the Army Staff presented the Sena Medal (Gallantry) to the families of three of the soldiers, while the Chief of the Air Staff did the same on October 8, 2025.

The ministry said, "The six bravehearts of Operation Sindoor are national heroes whose courage, devotion to duty and sacrifice will continue to inspire generations of Indians." It added that the Indian defence forces remain steadfast in honouring every soldier who has made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation.

The statement also referred to the inscription of the names of the six personnel on a wall at the National War Memorial as a tribute to the fallen heroes. The names, inscribed on wall number 3D of the Tyag Chakra, are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar (VrC), Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Agniveer Mood Muralinaik, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh, and Indian Air Force Sergeant Surendra Kumar. The unit names of the personnel have also been inscribed.

Operation Sindoor was carried out to avenge the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 last year. On the inscription of names at the memorial, the ministry said the process was governed by an established and well-defined protocol, adding that the defence forces followed these procedures with due diligence, care and reverence in keeping with the solemnity of the honour being conferred.

The ministry's statement sought to make clear that the six personnel killed during Operation Sindoor had been publicly honoured through official tributes, awards, ceremonies and now their inscription at the National War Memorial.

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