MP Minister Under Fire for Calling Col Sofiya Qureshi ‘Sister of Terrorists’
Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah triggered outrage after calling Indian Army’s Col Sofiya Qureshi a “sister of Pakistani terrorists,” sparking demands for his dismissal.
Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has drawn widespread condemnation after making controversial remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Indian Army officer who led briefings during Operation Sindoor. At an event in Mhow, Shah referred to her as a “sister of Pakistani terrorists” while praising India’s military retaliation following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“Those who wiped the vermilion off our daughters’ foreheads… we sent their sister to teach them a lesson,” Shah said in Hindi. He further added, They undressed Hindus and killed them, and Modi ji sent their sister to return the favou “Since Modi ji could not remove their clothes, he sent a sister of their community to send the message that if you make the sisters of our community widows, a sister of your community will strip you naked.”
The statements, recorded on video, went viral after being shared by the Congress party, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders, retired military officials, and civil society.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led the charge, calling the remarks “vulgar and insulting to the Indian Army.” He urged the BJP to immediately sack Shah, asserting, “The entire country stood united during Operation Sindoor; remarks like these shame every Indian.”
Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh, Umang Singhar, condemned Shah’s remarks as “an insult to the army and women,” emphasizing that members of the armed forces represent the nation and not any religion. “They are not Hindu or Muslim. Their only religion is the nation,” he said.
Congress leader Pawan Khera demanded accountability from the Prime Minister’s Office and BJP national president JP Nadda, calling the comments “completely unpardonable.”
Amid mounting criticism, Shah issued a clarification, stating, “We respect the actions taken by Indian forces. Col Qureshi is a sister who has enhanced our prestige. My remarks are being twisted.”
However, the explanation failed to quell the political storm, with several critics accusing the minister of communalizing the armed forces. Former MP Danish Ali said, “Calling Col Qureshi a ‘sister of terrorists’ is an insult to the entire Indian Army. This is poisonous fanaticism.”
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is a highly respected officer in the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals. She became one of the prominent public faces of India’s counterterror operation in Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
In 2016, she made history as the first Indian woman to command a military contingent at a multinational exercise, leading a 40-member team at Exercise Force 18 in Pune.
She, along with IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, led the Operation Sindoor media briefings, symbolizing India’s strategic response and military coordination.
