Madhya Pradesh’s tribal welfare minister, Kunwar Vijay Shah, has found himself in another massive controversy. This time, due to the BJP leader’s vehemently communal comments concerning Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, had briefed the media during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
Shah’s remarks on May 13, which included mentions of Narendra Modi, seemed to be an effort to praise the prime minister regarding India’s military operations against Pakistan, yet it had unintended consequences.
“Modi ji sent a ‘Sister from the same community'”
While addressing a government event in Manpur town close to Mhow which is incidentally a significant army base, Shah mentioned Operation Sindoor, stating that the prime minister had dispatched a “sister from the same community” as those in Pakistan to retaliate for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
“Modi ji is striving for the society. Those who widowed our daughters [in Pahalgam], we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson,” Shah remarked.
Recalling how the terrorists in Pahalgam seemingly conducted physical inspections on tourists to recognize their religion and target them, Shah remarked: “Now, Modi ji would not have done that.” Therefore, he sent a sister from their community—so that if you leave our sisters bereaved, one of yours will come and undress you. And he [Modi] declared that India will strike them in their own territory.”
Col. Qureshi, known for his remarkable service in the Indian Army and coming from a military family, was not involved in India’s military campaign against terror networks in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during Operation Sindoor. She and Wing Commander Singh, alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, conducted the media briefings in New Delhi.
Congress condemns Shah’s remarks
Shah’s remarks quickly went viral and created a stir. The Congress party labeled them as a disrespect to both women and the military.
Abbas Hafiz, spokesperson for Congress, stated: “Vijay Shah’s remarks about Col. Sofia Qureshi are inappropriate and have surpassed all boundaries of communalism. The Congress insists that the minister should be sacked immediately. He frequently speaks out against women.”
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‘My comments misunderstood’, says Shah
Facing heat, Shah asserted that his comments had been misunderstood. “Some people are taking my comment in a different context. I didn’t mean that way. She is my sister, and she has avenged against the terrorists’ actions,” he stated.
Shah has served as an MLA for eight straight terms since 1990. He has held the position of state minister since 2003, apart from the time the Congress governed Madhya Pradesh in 2019-20.
