While Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath continues in both India and Pakistan, a controversy erupted after a BJP Minister in Madhya Pradesh India, made a controversial statement during a public event in a rural area in Indore district on Monday suggesting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi to be a sister of Pakistani terrorists.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Indian Army officer, had conducted press briefings alongside India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. For four days between May 7 to May 10, the trio provided updates on Operation Sindoor.
The BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah had said:
“Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson.”
Vijay Shah was apparently referring to Colonel Qureshi. His statement prompted immediate outrage all over India and caused an outpouring of more support and appreciation for Colonel Sofia Qureshi and the Indian defence forces.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court immediately took suo moto cognizance of the incident and ordered the state government to register an FIR against Vijay Shah.
The BJP state organizational secretary Hitanand Sharma reprimanded Vijay Shah for his irresponsible and unacceptable remarks.
Vijay Shah issued an apology saying: “I belong to a family of martyrs and armymen. I was emotional due to the Pahalgam incident. I am apologising if my words hurt someone and any community. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is a pride of the nation and she is like my sister.”
Vijay Shah issued a second apology came after the Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo moto action ordering registering an FIR against him.
“I, Vijay Shah, am not only ashamed and saddened by my recent statement which has hurt the sentiments of every community, but I also apologise from the bottom of my heart. Our country’s sister Sofia Qureshi ji has worked rising above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty,” Shah said in a video message posted on Wednesday on X.
मैं विजय शाह, हाल ही में मेरे दिए गए बयान से, जो हर समाज की भावनाएँ आहत हुई हैं, उसके लिए मैं दिल से न केवल शर्मिंदा हूँ, दुखी हूँ, बल्कि माफ़ी चाहता हूँ।
— Dr. Kunwar Vijay Shah (@KrVijayShah) May 14, 2025
हमारे देश की बहन सोफिया कुरैशी जी ने राष्ट्र धर्म निभाते हुए जाति और समाज से ऊपर उठकर, उन्होंने काम किया है। pic.twitter.com/0qhO895ahl
Vijay Shah said that he respects the Armed forces and called Colonel Sofiya his “sister”.
“Although some inappropriate words came out in my recent statement, my intentions were always clear. I apologise to everyone, and especially to my sister, Sofiya Qureshi,” Vijay Shah said.
In a further embarrassment to the BJP state government and machinery, the MP High Court on Thursday reprimanded the MP Advocate General (AG) Prashant Singh for ‘gaps’ in the FIR. The court opined the FIR had been drafted in a way that it would be prone to quashing at the first instance.
The Court observed that the FIR has been drafted in a casual manner.
“Have you read the FIR? How has it been drafted? There are no ingredients. It has been drafted in such a manner that it can be quashed. Content must be there in FIR. The allegations must come out…FIR get quashed because it does not reflect ingredients. There is no description of what offence is, except for saying order dated so and so. That is why we draw our inferences. It (FIR) only says certain directions are given,” Justice Atul Sreedharan said.
The indignant Court observed that the FIR was registered “in such a manner leaving sufficient space open so that if it is challenged later, the same may be quashed because it is deficient in material particulars of the actions which constitutes each of the specific offences.”
“This is gross subterfuge on the part of the of the State. The FIR has been drawn in a manner so as to assist the suspect Mr. Vijay Shah to be able to have the FIR quashed on a later date.
The Court further said that it would monitor the investigation against Minister Vijay Shah.
“In view of the nature of the case and the manner in which the FIR has been registered, which does not inspire confidence of this Court, and the Court is of the opinion that if the case is not duly monitored, the police would not investigate fairly in the interest of justice in accordance with law. Under the circumstances, this Court feels compelled to ensure that it monitors the investigation without interfering in the independence of the investigating agency but only to the extent of monitoring that it acts fairly in accordance with law without being influenced by any extraneous pressures or directions.”
The case will be heard next on June 16.
In the meantime, Vijay Shah unsuccessfully approached the Supreme Court of India for interim relief which the court declined.
The Supreme Court will hear the matter on 15 May.