NEW DELHI: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to stop the commercial use of the name “Operation Sindoor”, arguing that a term associated with a military strike following a terror attack should not be exploited for monetary gain.
In response to the 22 April terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, the Indian armed forces launched a retaliatory operation on 7 May.
The cross-border strikes—under the banner “Operation Sindoor”—targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammad’s stronghold in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke.
The petition, filed by Dev Ashish Dubey through advocate Om Prakash Parihar, highlighted that five individuals have submitted applications for trademark registration of “Operation Sindoor” under Class 41, which covers services such as education and entertainment.
“Therefore, the 'Operation Sindoor' involves the emotions of not only of the country man but also of those who have sacrificed their life for the country and in the instant killing of innocent civilians in Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025 have sparked nation-wide outrage,” stated the plea.
It further argued that “Operation Sindoor” symbolises the sacrifice of soldiers’ widows, especially those who lost their spouses in the fight against terrorism, described in the plea as being largely sponsored by Pakistan.
“The petitioner submits that the said operation under the 'Operation Sindoor' should not be allowed to be misused for commercial exploitation by...who only want to take an advantage of the public emotion for their own commercial gain,” the plea claimed.