Oppn hits out at BJP, PM for inaction over remarks on Col Sofiya Qureshi

Opposition Rajya Sabha members Tiruchi Siva and Sanjay Singh on Tuesday hit out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their inaction over remarks by a Madhya Pradesh minister on Indian Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi, saying their silence is an approval of the statement.

Participating in a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Siva (DMK) and Singh (AAP) brought up the issue of remarks by Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor on Col Qureshi, which sparked outrage.

Dubbing Col Qureshi a "great lady", Siva said, "How she was being interpreted? She was likened to the sister of militants, the terrorists in Pakistan."

Asserting that even the courts have condemned the remarks, he said, "Did your party condemn it? Did your prime minister, did the leader who leads the nation, condemn that? It should not be done."

Siva said Col Qureshi "is a proud woman" and "just because she is Muslim she is called a sister of a terrorist and you have not expressed a word of resentment against it".

Referring to Shah, Siva said, "He is still a minister. So, you can do whatever you want?...He is continuing (as minister). So you are approving it."

Asking the BJP to not "communalise each and everything", Siva said, "Don't talk whatever you want and then justify it in your own manner. Yes, silence is sometimes acceptance and tolerance is not incapability, it is patience."

Similarly, Singh said, "Our government asked us to applaud our brave soldiers, we did that. You asked us to bow to honour them and we bowed. What did you do? Your minister of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh says the Indian Army's brave daughter Col Sofiya Qureshi is the sister of terrorists!"

Col Qureshi had gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during the media briefings on Operation Sindoor.

The AAP member also pointed out that the government did not take any action when there was an online attack with "so much objectionable comments" on the daughter of India's foreign secretary, who ultimately had to lock his account on social media platform X. "You can't even protect your own people," Singh said.

RJD member A.D. Singh said the incidents from Kargil to Pahalgam took place due to intelligence failure. He noted that during Operation Sindoor, only vacant buildings were hit and that chances were there that no terrorists died in the attacks.

M. Thambidurai of AIADMK said the operation was deliberate and hit the enemy hard. He said Pakistan called for a ceasefire after being hit hard by India. "Trump stories... even people in the US do not believe what he says, that's a real fact," he stated.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla (nominated) said the precision strikes eliminated over 100 terrorists. He noted that groupings like QUAD and BRICS and even countries like Saudi Arabia spoke in favour of India. Sanjay Kumar Jha of JD(U) said earlier only dossiers used to get exchanged but now India hits deep inside the enemy territory to avenge acts of terror.