BJP Minister’s ‘Pak’ Remark For Army Officer Col. Sofia Qureshi Backfires: What he said

Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has sparked outrage with controversial remarks about Indian Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi, drawing criticism from the Opposition and civil society alike.

At a government function on May 13 in Manpur, near the military town of Mhow, Shah referenced Operation Sindoor—India’s retaliatory operation against Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. While praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Shah made a communal remark about Col. Qureshi, suggesting she was selected to represent India due to her shared religious background with the enemy.

“Alluding to the Prime Minister’s response to the Pahalgam attack, Shah said Modi ‘sent a sister from their own community’ to respond,” reported various news outlets. He claimed that while the attackers had targeted Hindu tourists based on their identity, Modi responded by deploying someone from the same faith as the assailants “to teach them a lesson.” His comments were met with applause at the event.

However, Shah’s claim was factually misleading. Col. Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, had only conducted media briefings about Operation Sindoor in New Delhi. She was not involved in the military operations carried out in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The remarks quickly went viral, triggering widespread condemnation. Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafiz called the comments “deeply offensive,” labeling Shah a “repeat offender” and demanding his removal from office. “This is not only an insult to women in uniform but also a dangerous attempt to communalize our armed forces,” Hafiz said.

In response to the backlash, Shah attempted to downplay the controversy, insisting that his words were misinterpreted. “She is my sister. What I meant was that she avenged the acts of terrorists,” he said during a damage-control statement.

Shah, a seasoned BJP politician and MLA since 1990, has served as a minister in Madhya Pradesh through multiple tenures, excluding the Congress-led interlude in 2019-2020. This isn’t the first time he has attracted controversy—especially for remarks targeting women. In 2013, he was criticized for comments about Sadhna Singh Chouhan, wife of then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, now the Union Agriculture Minister.

Despite his clarification, Shah’s remarks continue to fuel debate over the use of religion and gender in political narratives surrounding national security.