'Happy Diwali to you-know-who': BJP takes veiled dig at Pakistan

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday took a veiled dig at Pakistan on the occasion of Diwali by sharing an old video linked to Operation Sindoor on X, with the caption, “Happy Diwali To You-Know-Who."

Although the party did not name Pakistan, its reference to Operation Sindoor made the target of the message clear. The post recalled the military confrontation between the two countries in May 2025, when India launched strikes across the border following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

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Operation Sindoor

India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, 2025, after terrorists killed 26 people near Pahalgam on April 22. Twenty-five of the victims were Indian nationals and one was a Nepali citizen.

New Delhi announced diplomatic measures against Pakistan before the armed forces carried out strikes across the border.

The Ministry of Defence said Indian forces targeted nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that it identified as terrorist infrastructure. It said the action was limited to specified sites and that Pakistani military installations were not targeted.

Indian officials later named facilities in Bahawalpur and Muridke among the locations struck. They linked the sites to banned terrorist organisations.

Pakistan condemned the strikes. It rejected allegations that it was involved in the Pahalgam attack and disputed India’s account of the military confrontation.

India-Pakistan's agreement to halt military action on May 10

The strikes were followed by several days of military exchanges between India and Pakistan.

Both countries reported missile, drone and artillery attacks. Civilians were killed in areas affected by the fighting. India and Pakistan also gave differing accounts of damage to military installations and equipment.

On May 10, the two countries agreed to stop firing and military action.

Then Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations had contacted his Indian counterpart. Both sides agreed to halt military action from 5 pm Indian time, he said.

BJP’s earlier references

The BJP has referred to Operation Sindoor in earlier statements and social media campaigns.

In May 2025, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said Indian forces had achieved the objectives announced by the government. The party also ran an outreach campaign on its account of the military action.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi separately greeted people on Diwali on Sunday. In a video message, he said he would continue his practice of celebrating the festival with military personnel and wished people peace, happiness and prosperity.

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