Photo Source: ANI
BJP Minister faces backlash over remarks on Col. Sofiya Qureshi
Babushahi Bureau
Madya Pradesh, May 14, 2025: Madhya Pradesh BJP leader and State Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has drawn sharp criticism after making controversial remarks involving Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who played a visible role in media briefings during Operation Sindoor — India's retaliatory strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
While addressing a public gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore, Shah invoked communal undertones while referring to the officer’s role in the operation.
“Those people (terrorists) who had wiped out the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters in the Pahalgam terror attack... we avenged these people by sending their sister to destroy them,” Shah said. “They killed our Hindu brothers. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists’) sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson.”
Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday condemned Madhya Pradesh Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah's remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, calling them "shameful" and demanding immediate action from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"This is a shameful statement. The BJP should have apologised, and the minister should have been suspended. His candidature in the Vidhan Sabha should be cancelled," Rawat said, questioning whether Shah's remarks reflect the "official mindset" of the BJP or the state government. He urged the BJP to clarify its stance on the issue.