In a fiery political face-off in poll-bound Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a blistering attack on the BJP’s alleged attempt to exploit religious and cultural symbols for electoral gains, mocking the party's reported plan to distribute sindoor (vermillion) to households. “Is this some kind of ‘One Nation, One Husband’ scheme?” Mann asked sarcastically while addressing the media after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, triggering a storm of political reactions. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, too, came out swinging, warning BJP leaders that “Punjabi women will beat them with slippers” if they attempted such antics. Hitting back strongly, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, however, called Mann's comment “vulgar”, demanding an unconditional public apology.

The controversy flared up in the backdrop of the high-voltage bypoll for the Ludhiana West Assembly seat. BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta is pitted against Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu and AAP’s Sanjeev Arora. Reports emerged that BJP leaders invoked ‘Operation Sindoor’ — a counterterror mission named after the red vermillion that terrorists allegedly used to identify Hindu women — to rally votes, prompting the Chief Minister’s taunt.

“Did you see that? Now they say they’ll send sindoor to every household,” Mann told journalists. “When it arrives at your door, what will you say — ‘Here, wear sindoor in Modi’s name’? Is this what we’ve come to? ‘One Nation, One Husband’?” he quipped, deriding what he described as “political theatrics” aimed at manipulating voters’ emotions rather than addressing real issues.

The state Congress president Raja Warring joined the attack, asserting that “sindoor belongs to a woman’s husband, not to political parties”. Warring, known for his straight talk, went further: “If BJP leaders go around distributing sindoor in Punjab, they’ll get thrashed by women. This isn’t UP or Gujarat. Here, women have dignity — and anger.”

But BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu, who is spearheading the saffron party’s campaign in Ludhiana, lashed out at the AAP and Congress leaders. “Operation Sindoor was a serious military mission carried out to avenge the targeted killings of Hindu men in Pahalgam. Terrorists were checking for sindoor to identify Hindu wives. It wasn’t about vermillion — it was about lives,” Bittu stated. “Bhagwant Mann has mocked not just a sacred symbol, but also the sacrifices of our soldiers. This vulgarity dressed up as leadership is unacceptable,” he added.

Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal also tore into the Chief Minister, saying that his “cheap comedy” from a constitutional chair was a disgrace. “This isn’t satire. This is a national insult,” he said, adding, “Operation Sindoor was about justice for victims of terrorism. Mann doesn’t understand the meaning of sindoor — love, sacrifice, strength. He has insulted every martyr’s widow, every mother of a soldier, and every Indian woman.”

Baliawal further demanded an immediate public apology and called for Mann’s resignation, arguing that he had “lost the moral authority to govern”.

While the BJP denied any official campaign involving door-to-door distribution of sindoor, the row intensified after AAP spokesperson Neel Garg echoed Mann’s statement, saying, “Only a husband has the right to apply sindoor. No political party can claim it. Has the BJP now acquired that right too?”

The controversy also reignited criticism from outside Punjab. AAP MP Sanjay Singh took to social media to mock the growing list of central slogans: “After ‘One Nation, One Election’ and ‘One Nation, One Leader’, are we now being given ‘One Nation, One Husband’?” he said, accusing the Modi Government of reducing India’s culture to campaign gimmicks.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also slammed the BJP for allegedly politicizing Operation Sindoor. “They named it Operation Sindoor for emotional manipulation. First Modi sold tea, then security, now sindoor. What next?” she had said during a public rally.

Mann, meanwhile, remained unfazed by the backlash. “Theatrics will not help the BJP. Punjab’s people are not so gullible,” he said. “No one is going to vote because someone sent sindoor in an envelope. We need real development, not symbolic stunts.”

All eligible beneficiaries to receive their certificates on time: Hry CM asks officers

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said that the state government is committed to ensuring that all eligible beneficiaries receive their certificates promptly and on a priority basis. He said that clear instructions have already been issued to ensure timely issuance of certificates such as DSC, OSC, BC, and EWS. While presiding over a meeting, the CM directed the department officials to ensure that no eligible applicant faces any difficulty in obtaining their certificate. Providing an update on the status so far, the department informed that between May 28 and June 3, a total of 117,778 certificates have been issued across the state. However, around 28,830 duplicate applications have also been received. Taking serious note of this, Saini instructed officials to closely monitor and resolve such duplicate cases at the Common Service Center (CSC) level itself. He further directed all District Information Officers to strengthen infrastructure at the district level, so that the certificate issuance process becomes faster, more transparent, and efficient.

Himachal CM inaugurates Rs 100 crore development projects in Dehra constituency

Shimla: Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for six development projects worth about Rs 100 crore in the Dehra assembly constituency of  Kangra district. He laid the foundation stone of the Administrative and Diagnostic Block of the Hospital, Food Commissary and Quarantine at Durgesh Aranya- Zoological Park to be constructed at a cost of Rs 47.62 crore. Sukhu said that International level Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park was being constructed at Bankhandi at a cost of Rs 619 crore and in the first phase, Rs 150 crore was being spent on the construction of 43 enclosures. Around 90 per cent work on the boundary wall has been completed besides eight check dams have also been constructed so far. The chief minister directed the construction of more check dams to facilitate rainwater harvesting. He said that it will not only be a tourist attraction but also a model of sustainable infrastructure, blending conservation with innovation. He said that this park would have space to showcase 78 species, including the Asiatic lion, hog deer, monitor lizard, crocodile, ghadiyal and various bird species. The zoo will also have a wetland aviary of indigenous bird species, he added.