Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday strongly condemned the alleged objectionable remarks made by Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah against Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and demanded immediate action from the BJP.
She said the country awaits not just an FIR but concrete action to uphold national unity and dignity.
Referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India's military response through Operation Sindoor, Mayawati said it was deeply inappropriate that a Muslim woman Army officer, who was a key spokesperson during the operation, was targeted with derogatory remarks.
The former UP chief minister had on Wednesday slammed Shah's remarks, calling them indecent and an attempt to damage the nation's collective pride over the Army's success.
"Following the Pahalgam attack, a senior Madhya Pradesh minister made vulgar remarks about the Muslim woman Colonel who was a leading face during Operation Sindoor. Though the FIR registered late last night after the High Court's stern stance is a justified step, the country still awaits action from the BJP's side," she posted on X in Hindi on Thursday.
Mayawati further warned that increasing communal and caste-based hate, violence, and tension threatens the country's progress.
"The state governments must act without bias against those spreading hatred and unrest. Failing to do so not only violates their constitutional responsibility but also derails much-needed development," she said.
The controversy erupted after Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs minister Shah, during a recent public event in Indore's rural area, allegedly made derogatory comments referencing Col Qureshi without directly naming her.
Qureshi had been at the forefront of media briefings on Operation Sindoor alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
Following public outrage and a stern direction from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, an FIR was registered on Wednesday night at Manpur police station. The case invokes serious charges, including Section 152 (acts endangering national unity), Section 196(1)(B) (acts harming communal harmony), and Section 197(1)(C) (offensive remarks targeting a specific community).
Although Shah later said he was ready to apologise "ten times" if anyone felt hurt and added that he respected Col Qureshi more than his sister, critics across the political spectrum termed the comment as a reflection of deep-seated prejudice.