Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav sparked a controversy by making caste-based remarks about Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who recently briefed on ‘Operation Sindoor.’ Yadav’s statement, referring to Singh’s caste, drew sharp backlash from BJP leaders, including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Samajwadi Party (SP) national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav has sparked controversy with his caste-based remarks about Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who recently briefed the media on the success of ‘Operation Sindoor.’ During a public address, Yadav appeared to criticise Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, who had earlier made controversial remarks about Major Sofia Qureshi. However, Yadav’s comments soon drew backlash as he used a caste identifier while referring to Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
Yadav said, “They (Vijay Shah) didn’t even know who Vyomika Singh is or what her caste is, nor do they know about Air Marshal AK Bharti. Otherwise, they would have abused them too. Let me tell you – Vyomika Singh belongs to a Dalit (caste identifier) community from Haryana, and Air Marshal AK Bharti is a Yadav from Purnia. All three belong to the PDA segment. One was abused because they thought she was Muslim, one was assumed to be Rajput, so nothing was said, and they have no information about the third.”
Yogi Adityanath, other leaders hit back
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath sharply criticised Yadav’s remarks, calling it a “grave insult” to the armed forces and the nation. In a post on X, Adityanath said, “The uniform of the army is not seen through a casteist lens. Every soldier of the Indian army performs national duty and is not a representative of any caste or religion. Samajwadi Party’s act of putting a brave daughter within the ambit of caste is not only a display of its narrow-mindedness but also a grave insult to the valour of the army and the country’s identity. This is the same mentality that dares to divide even patriotism in the name of appeasement and vote bank politics.”
State deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak also condemned Yadav’s statement, calling it “shameful and condemnable.” Pathak said, “Disrespect to Wing Commander Vyomika Singh is not just to her but to the entire nation. She is not just a name but a symbol of India’s pride and women’s empowerment. The Samajwadi Party has displayed its low mentality and anti-woman thoughts by disrespecting her based on her caste. This is the new India. Here, people are known by their work, not their birth. The Samajwadi Party has always tried to divide society based on caste.”
Uttar Pradesh minister Baby Rani Maurya said, “I just want to say that be it Sofiya Qureshi or Vyomika Singh, they are the daughters of India and making comments related to their caste by Ram Gopal Yadav is condemnable. It’s not a good idea to divide the country based on caste and religion. They just want to gain politically. They will not be getting Dalit votes by doing such politics.”
The incident has sparked a fierce political backlash, with BJP leaders accusing the Samajwadi Party of resorting to divisive identity politics. The controversy also puts fresh pressure on the SP leadership as it faces criticism for allegedly undermining the dignity of Indian armed forces personnel.
