Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, whose remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi sparked a nationwide controversy, was summoned by state BJP chief V. D Sharma late evening on Tuesday.
After a closed-door meeting with Sharma, the minister issued a clarification saying that his remarks had been taken out of context and misunderstood.
He also apologised, saying that Colonel Sofiya Qureshi has made the nation proud and he has great respect for her.
“We respect the actions taken by the Indian forces in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. I have nothing to say on the wisdom of those who are twisting my remarks. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi has made the nation proud. We respect both the sisters,” he said after meeting with state BJP chief V. D Sharma.
Addressing a public gathering during a government function in Mhow (Indore district) on Monday, Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in responding to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
However, while doing so, he made a comment that has drawn sharp criticism.
Talking about Operation Sindoor, Shah said that PM Modi had sent a “sister from the same community” as those in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 terror strike in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
He further stated that, “PM Modi is striving for the society. Those who widowed our daughters (in Pahalgam), we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson.”
Notably, the Indian Army officer had along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, briefed the media throughout Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
The Opposition Congress reacted strongly. Sharing the video clip on the social media platform ‘X’, it accused Shah of calling Indian Army officers “sisters of terrorists,” a statement it said insults not just women in uniform but the entire armed forces.
“The brave daughters of our army are sisters of terrorists. This disgusting utterance has been made by MP Minister Vijay Shah. This is an insult to our mighty army,” Patwari said while addressing a press conference at party headquarters in Bhopal.
Patwari also demanded that Shah be sacked from the minister’s post.
“If the Chief Minister fails to sack Shah, it will be seen as the state cabinet endorsing his indecent and communal remarks,” Patwari stated.
Patwari also pointed out that this is the same Vijay Shah, who was removed from the Cabinet earlier for making lewd remarks on former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s wife, Sadhna Singh, in 2013.
