Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi addresses a press conference regarding 'Operation Sindoor', in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI File Photo
“Anguished and distressed” over the “derogatory statements” of two Madhya Pradesh ministers that were “insulting” to the military, a group of concerned citizens have written to President Droupadi Murmu, warning that it could “adversely” impact the morale of the force and urging her to ensure that such “regrettable” incidents do not recur.
In their letter on the adverse statements on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and that soldiers are bowing down at the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said they need not emphasise that Article 53(2) of the Constitution makes it clear that the President and no other authority is the Supreme Commander of the Indian military.
Urging the President to issue directions to the government to take appropriate action to prevent recurrence of such issues in the interest of national unity, they said the derogatory statements made by the two Ministers can adversely affect the morale of the serving personnel of our Defence Forces, resulting in weakening of national security and territorial integrity.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda had said that the entire country, the country’s Army and its soldiers are bowing at Modi’s feet for Operation Sindoor while Shah said the Prime Minister took a symbolic step of sending “a sister (Col Qureshi) from their community” to confront those responsible for the Pahalgam terror strike.
The letter, by former Naval chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat and former IPS officer Vappala Balachandran among others, said serving personnel are debarred from responding to such “ derogatory (and) humiliating” statements and that was why they were approaching the President.
They said Devda's statement “displays his disrespect for the authority” while recalling Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's April 2019 remark “Modi-ji ka sena (Modi's Army)”. It is “unfortunate” that the government “chose to remain silent” both times, the letter, also signed by Commodore Lokesh Batra (Retd) and activist Jagdeep Chokkar among others, said.
“It is unfortunate that the remarks of Devda are actually being defended,” it said, citing reports of BJP’s support for the Deputy Chief Minister.
Shah’s remarks “publicly betrayed his gender-insensitive, non-secular, divisive state of mind, deprecating women in general, tending to incite communal fissures, and insulting India’s defence forces”, the letter said.
"While expressing solidarity with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and the defence forces in general, for their unwavering commitment to safeguarding national security, we unequivocally condemn the statements made by the two Ministers,” the letter said.