Y S Sharmila Slams BJP MP’s Remarks on Colonel Sophia Qureshi as Insulting and Bigoted

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Y S Sharmila has sharply condemned the controversial remarks made by BJP MP Kunwar Vijay Shah against Colonel Sophia Qureshi, calling them “deeply insulting and shocking.” Colonel Qureshi played a key role in Operation Sindoor, and Sharmila asserted that the religious and gender-based slurs made against her reflect the BJP's entrenched discriminatory mindset.

“This wasn’t a mere slip of the tongue,” Sharmila said. “The communal and misogynistic attack by a BJP MP against a decorated Army officer exposes the rot in their ideology. The applause he received only reveals how normalized such hate has become within the party ranks.”

She further questioned, “Is this the ‘New India’ that Prime Minister Modi and his allies talk about—where women in uniform are demeaned through religious bigotry?”

Sharmila alleged that the incident was not isolated but part of the BJP’s broader ideological pattern, which she claimed cloaks hate and division in the guise of patriotism. “In the name of nationalism, they’ve continued to polarize communities, undermine national unity, and demean women who serve the nation with honor,” she said.

Calling for public vigilance, Sharmila urged citizens to reject forces that undermine democracy and sow hatred. “India must stand up against those who degrade its defenders and divide its people for political gain,” she concluded.