New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced a two-day trip to Gujarat on Monday with a public procession in Vadodara, where substantial crowds lined the streets to welcome him.
The family of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a military officer hailing from Vadodara, was present among the attendees and was observed scattering flower petals toward PM Modi, who previously served as Gujarat’s chief minister.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Colonel Qureshi’s sister Shayna Sunsara expressed, “Meeting PM Modi was a positive experience for us. He has contributed significantly to advancing women’s empowerment. Sofiya is my twin sister. When your sibling serves the nation, it motivates not just me but many others. She has transcended being merely my sister to become a sister to the entire country.”
The military officer served as a spokesperson during the government’s regular press conferences, alongside foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the Air Force, regarding India’s “Operation Sindoor.”
Indian military forces executed Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a response to the terrorist assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. This action led to a military standoff with Pakistan. On May 10, New Delhi agreed to Islamabad’s ceasefire proposal, which followed the Indian Air Force’s destruction of 11 out of 12 airbases belonging to the neighboring country.
This marks PM Modi’s initial return to his native state following Operation Sindoor. During the first day of his visit, he will launch several development initiatives in Dahod and Bhuj, before proceeding to the state capital Gandhinagar on Tuesday.