MEERUT/LUCKNOW, May 16 -- Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav kicked up a controversy with his alleged remarks identifying the caste of Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, one of the women officers chosen by the Centre to brief on Operation Sindoor. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath condemned the SP leader for viewing the armed forces through a "casteist" lens. A host of BJP leaders and ministers, including deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, hit out at Yadav for his remarks. Speaking to reporters at the residence of SP MLA Haji Faheem Irfan in Moradabad on Thursday, Yadav, who is the national general secretary of the party, allegedly said that the operation, which targeted terror launch pads in Pakistan, was executed by a Muslim, a Dalit, and a Yadav, laying emphasis on their identities as PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak). In a reference to the BJP, Yadav said: "They didn't know the caste of Vyomika Singh and Air Marshal AK Bharti, otherwise they would've hurled abuses at them too. Let me tell you, Vyomika Singh is a 'Jatav' from Haryana, and AK Bharti is a 'Yadav' from Purnia. All three are from the PDA segment. One of them was abused because they (BJP) thought she (Colonel Sofia Qureshi) was Muslim, while another was thought to be a 'Rajput', so nothing was said...," Yadav said while taking at dig at the BJP. Yadav accused the BJP government of exploiting the armed forces' valour for political gain, saying that the ground reality is different from the narrative projected. "Despite the military's success in destroying terrorist bases, the government succumbed to pressure from former US President Donald Trump and declared a ceasefire, which has demoralised the armed forces," Yadav said. The SP leader also hit out at Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, demanding his resignation and expulsion from the BJP for his remarks on Colonel Sofia Qureshi.Yadav predicted a sweeping victory for the SP in the 2027 U.P. assembly elections, claiming that the public is fed up with the BJP's "oppression and corruption". Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath hit back at SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav over his controversial remarks. In an 'X' post on Thursday evening, Yogi said the remarks showing the party's narrow thinking were against the honour of Indian Army and identity of the country."The army uniform is not seen through 'casteist glasses'. Every soldier of the Indian Army performs 'Rashtra dharma' and is not a representative of any caste or religion. The national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party confining a brave daughter to a caste is not only a display of his party's narrow thinking, but is also a grave insult to the valour of the army and the identity of the country. This is the mentality which has divided even patriotism for appeasement and vote bank politics. The public will again give a reply to this distorted casteist thinking," Yogi said in a post. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak also slammed the SP leader, saying his remarks were an insult not just to Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, but also to the entire country. "The Samajwadi Party leader has displayed his mentality and anti-women thinking by identifying a woman officer with her caste," he said. National president of Ambedkar Mahasabha and MLC Lalji Prasad Nirmal also condemned Yadav, alleging that the SP's behaviour had been consistently disrespectful towards Dalits. Labour minister Anil Rajbhar also slammed the SP, saying the remarks by the party leader proved how much hatred towards Dalits they carried in their hearts. However, defending Ram Gopal Yadav, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said that he was talking about the valour and unity of the armed forces. "Ram Gopal Yadav highlighted that our military comprises officers from diverse religious and caste backgrounds. The BJP is trying to create controversy out of it, but Ram Gopal Yadav was talking about unity in diversity," Chand claimed....