Madhya Pradesh minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Shah has come under intense political and public fire for controversial remarks about Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a decorated Indian Army officer who led press briefings during Operation Sindoor.
At a recent gathering, Shah appeared to draw a communal parallel between Col. Qureshi and the terrorists targeted by the Indian armed forces, a statement widely condemned as insensitive and derogatory.
“PM Modi ji responded by sending their sister [Col. Qureshi] in an Army plane to strike them in their houses,” Shah was quoted saying, in reference to the Pahalgam attack.
The comments sparked outrage across the political spectrum and on social media. Colonel Qureshi, a highly respected officer, has been at the forefront of India’s counter-terrorism communication during the operation.
Following the backlash, Shah issued a public apology:
“If anyone is hurt by my statement, I apologise ten times. I respect Colonel Qureshi more than my own sister,” he said, attributing the remarks to an emotional response to the killings in Pahalgam.
However, the Congress Party has demanded Shah’s immediate removal.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the statement as “derogatory, shameful, and cheap,” calling it an insult to both the military and women’s dignity.
The BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit took notice of the controversy, with General Secretary Hitanand Sharma summoning Shah to party headquarters in Bhopal. The minister was reportedly reprimanded and also met the state BJP president.
Sources say the party is concerned over the public perception and political fallout, especially given the sensitive nature of the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict.
Col. Qureshi, who joined the Indian Army Corps of Signals in 1999, became the first woman officer to lead a multinational military exercise in 2016. She has gained national recognition for her calm, articulate briefings during Operation Sindoor and is celebrated as a symbol of military excellence and national pride.
