Did BJP Really Consider Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wg Cdr Vyomika Singh for a Women's Campaign?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BJP denies links to women-centric campaign.
- Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh remain central figures.
- Focus on empowering women from minority communities.
- Campaign aims to inspire military enlistment.
- Clarifications from BJP leaders emphasize accurate representation.
New Delhi, June 1 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday emphatically denied a media report suggesting that Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh -- both prominent figures in the press briefings concerning Operation Sindoor -- would be chosen as representatives for a women-oriented campaign commemorating 11 years of the Modi government.
Labeling the report from a prominent daily as “fake news”, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya clarified that there are no such plans involving these two officers.
In a post on X, Malviya stated, “This is Fake News. The BJP has no plans to use either Col Sofia Qureshi or Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as campaign faces.”
The original article cited BJP Minority Morcha chief Jamal Siddiqui, who mentioned that the party’s minority wing would organize ‘chaupals’ – public gatherings – outside places of worship such as mosques, dargahs, churches, and gurudwaras as part of the celebratory campaign, with the first scheduled for Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.
The report claimed that political analysts viewed the choice of Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as a tactical decision to merge military courage, national pride, and gender empowerment into a compelling political narrative.
Furthermore, it alleged that the BJP had instructed its minority wing to showcase Qureshi and Singh as “role models” for women, specifically from minority backgrounds.
In response, Malviya contended that the report distorted Siddiqui's remarks.
He stated, “The comments made by BJP Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui have been misconstrued. He merely aimed to highlight Col Qureshi as an empowered Muslim woman within the community.”
Siddiqui emphasized that the initiative aims to inspire women, particularly from the Minority Morcha, to feel empowered and consider joining the National Cadet Corps (NCC) or the armed forces through the Agniveer scheme.
“The goal is to mobilize women and instill a sense of empowerment,” Siddiqui was quoted as saying.