Ex-BJD MP Says Operation Sindoor Casualty Secrecy Reflects ‘Systemic Disease’

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By TRH News Desk

Former BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy has questioned why the deaths of six soldiers during Operation Sindoor were acknowledged more than a year later, calling it a systemic culture of secrecy rather than a political issue.

New Delhi, June 28, 2026 — Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Lok Sabha MP and Orissa Post Editor Tathagata Satpathy has questioned the delay in officially acknowledging the deaths of six Indian soldiers during Operation Sindoor, arguing that the issue reflects a deeper institutional culture rather than partisan politics.

In a video message released after reports emerged on June 26 regarding the six fatalities during the May 2025 military operation, Satpathy said it was troubling that more than a year had passed before the sacrifice of the soldiers became publicly known.

“If their deaths have not been acknowledged, my fear is that most likely the families too have been completely ignored and perhaps told to keep quiet,” Satpathy said, while clarifying that his criticism was directed at what he described as a systemic problem rather than any single political party.

Satpathy repeatedly stressed that his concerns should not be interpreted as an attack on the ruling government alone.

“I do not think this is about one particular party. It is a system in India which functions this way,” he said, describing the tendency to withhold sensitive information as “a disease that this nation suffers from.”

According to him, governments often invoke national security to justify withholding casualty figures or other sensitive information, but he argued that such secrecy should not come at the cost of honouring military personnel who lose their lives in service.

“Obviously, six soldiers died. Then what national security are we talking about? They are the ones who provide us security,” he said.

References to Earlier Incidents

Satpathy drew parallels with earlier controversies, including the 2019 capture of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman following aerial engagement with Pakistan.

He recalled that an Indian Air Force official had initially stated that all aircraft and pilots had safely returned to base before Pakistan released videos showing Varthaman in custody.

He also referred to the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, suggesting that information regarding casualties was initially limited.

Additionally, Satpathy cited the aftermath of the Balasore train collision, claiming that the actual number of fatalities may have been higher than officially reported. His remarks reflect his personal assessment and have not been independently verified.

‘Colonial Mindset’

Satpathy argued that the tendency to suppress uncomfortable information stems from what he described as a lingering colonial administrative mindset.

“The system still thinks citizens are subjects who should not know the truth because it might create unrest,” he said.

He maintained that democratic governments should trust citizens with factual information rather than relying on secrecy. Satpathy said he plans to write an editorial on the issue and invited viewers to share their opinions.

He said his central argument would be that the country must move beyond what he described as a culture of concealment and ensure that soldiers who die defending the nation receive timely public recognition and respect.

“The same red blood flows through their veins. They are our children too. We should at least acknowledge their sacrifice,” he said.

His comments come amid a wider public discussion following reports regarding the six soldiers who were killed during Operation Sindoor in May 2025 and the timing of their official acknowledgment.