BJP distances itself from Vijay Shah’s remark on Col Sofiya Qureshi
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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday distanced itself from Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah’s controversial remarks regarding Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, stating that the party does not endorse statements targeting individuals who have brought honour to the country.
State BJP president V.D. Sharma confirmed that he had spoken to Minister Shah as soon as the matter came to light and relayed firm directions from the party leadership, though he did not elaborate on the specifics of those instructions.
“The BJP is very sensitive to such issues. If anything inappropriate happens, it is addressed promptly. Vijay Shah has received the party’s message. No one has the right to insult Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who has made the nation proud with her service,” Sharma told reporters.
Responding to the Congress’s call for Shah’s resignation, Sharma declined to comment on opposition statements, but reiterated, “Colonel Sofiya Qureshi served under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. She is a matter of national pride.”
Sharma had summoned Shah to the BJP state headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday evening for a closed-door meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes. A photograph from the meeting was later released by the party’s state office.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress escalated its protests, holding demonstrations in seven locations across Madhya Pradesh and renewing its demand for Shah’s resignation from his ministerial post. Late on Tuesday night, Congress workers blackened the nameplate outside Shah’s official residence in Bhopal as a mark of protest.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh strongly condemned Shah’s remarks, calling them “highly objectionable” and demanding strict disciplinary action from the BJP leadership.
The controversy was sparked by Shah’s comments during a government function in Mhow (Indore district) on Monday. While lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Shah made a reference to Operation Sindoor, suggesting that the government had sent “a sister from the same community” as those in Pakistan to avenge the killings.
“PM Modi is working for the upliftment of society. Those who widowed our daughters (in Pahalgam), we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson,” Shah had said.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, had jointly briefed the media during Operation Sindoor, the Indian military’s retaliatory action following the deadly terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
With IANS inputs
