Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah has landed in controversy after making comments seen as communal and gendered about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Army officer playing a key role in Operation Sindoor.
During a speech near Indore, Shah, who is the Tribal Welfare Minister and a BJP leader, referred to Col Qureshi in terms that many critics say were insulting and divisive. He suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent “a sister from their [the terrorists’] community” in an Air Force plane to “strip them of their pride” and “teach them a lesson.”
The remarks appeared to link Col Qureshi’s Muslim identity to Pakistan and the recent Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people died.
“They killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes,” Shah said. “Modiji responded by sending the sister of their community to strike them in their houses. They made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent their sister to destroy them.”
The comments sparked outrage.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the remarks “derogatory, shameful and cheap.”
“A minister of the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has made a very derogatory, shameful and cheap remark about our brave daughter Colonel Sofiya Qureshi,” Kharge posted on X. “The country stood united during Operation Sindoor. The PM must sack him immediately.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari also condemned the remarks, calling them “an attack on national unity, military dignity, and the honour of Indian women.” He shared the video of Shah’s speech online and accused the BJP of promoting “hate-filled rhetoric.”
Facing criticism, Shah issued an apology.
“Sister Sofiya has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion,” he said. “We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams. Still, if my words have hurt society and religion, then I am ready to apologise ten times.”
Col Sofiya Qureshi has been prominently seen alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during official briefings on Operation Sindoor, becoming a visible face of India’s military response after the Pahalgam attack.
