A minister from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing severe backlash after referring to Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a Muslim officer and spokesperson for the Indian Army, as a “sister of terrorists” during a recent public address.
Kunwar Vijay Shah, the Tribal Affairs Minister in Madhya Pradesh, made the controversial statement on Monday at a community gathering in Mhow, a strategically important military town.
While praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm stance during Operation Sindoor—India’s retaliatory operation following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam—Shah used language that many have condemned as both communal and derogatory.
In his speech, Shah remarked: “They [terrorists] widowed our daughters. So we sent a sister from their society to do the same to them.” He continued, suggesting that Modi could not retaliate in the same way as terrorists, so he “sent a sister from their community to undress them,” implying vengeance carried out by a Muslim woman.
Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who played a key role during the operation, had been one of the senior uniformed officers briefing the press, alongside Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
Political Fallout and Demand for Accountability
Shah’s remarks prompted immediate condemnation from the opposition Congress Party, which posted the video online and called the comments deeply insulting to women serving in the armed forces.
“The brave daughters of our army are being labelled sisters of terrorists — this is disgraceful,” Congress posted on X (formerly Twitter).
They demanded an apology from Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, questioning whether Shah would face consequences or be “rewarded for such a vile mentality.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari went further, demanding Shah’s dismissal from the cabinet, describing his words as “communal, indecent, and anti-national.”
Minister Issues Apology
Facing growing political and public pressure, Kunwar Vijay Shah issued an apology the next day, claiming his words had been misunderstood and were spoken in the heat of the moment in response to the Pahalgam attack.
“I salute sister Sofia, who rose above all divides to bring pride to the nation. She deserves more respect than my own sister,” Shah said, noting his own family’s military background.
History of Controversial Statements
This is not the first time Kunwar Vijay Shah has been embroiled in controversy. In 2013, he stepped down from a ministerial post after being accused of making inappropriate comments about women in the BJP, including a remark about the wife of then-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
More recently, in March 2024, Shah sparked criticism for suggesting that actress and BJP MP Hema Malini become the brand ambassador for India Post, saying: “We are Hema Malini’s fans — we’ll bring all the poor people’s money into the post office.”
