Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday slammed Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and demanded that the state government sack him from the state Cabinet.
Pilot also asked the BJP leadership to tender an apology to the veteran officer whose generations have served the armed forces to safeguard the country's borders.The row erupted after Minister Shah, addressing a government function in Manpur town near Mhow, reportedly said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a "sister from the same community" as those in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 lives were lost.
"PM Modi is working for the upliftment of society. Those who widowed our daughters (in Pahalgam), we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson," Shah said.The BJP has distanced itself from Minister Shah's remarks, saying that the party does not endorse such comments against individuals who have brought pride to the nation.
Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V. D. Sharma said he had communicated with Shah soon after the matter came to light and conveyed clear instructions from the party. However, he did not disclose the nature of those instructions.
"The BJP leadership is very sensitive to such matters. If something inappropriate happens, it is promptly addressed. Vijay Shah has been conveyed the party's message. No one has the right to disrespect Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who has made the country proud with her service," Sharma said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari urged PM Modi to classify such remarks as a crime, emphasising the need for legal measures to prevent similar incidents.Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also termed Shah's statement "highly objectionable".
In a post on X, Kharge described the minister's remarks as "deeply offensive" and "inappropriate", criticising the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government for "allowing" such statements.