Rejection of ‘Fake News’

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, denounced the report as “fake news.” He emphasized that the party does not plan to involve either of the two women military officers in any campaign. 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.

Details of the Controversial Report

The initial report cited comments from Jamal Siddiqui, chief of the BJP Minority Morcha, who mentioned plans to conduct public gatherings, or ‘chaupals’, outside various religious venues including mosques and churches. The first of these events was reportedly set to take place in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.

It also suggested that featuring Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh would blend military valor, national pride, and gender empowerment into a compelling political narrative.

Clarification by Malviya

In response to the claims, Malviya asserted that the reporting distorted Siddiqui’s comments. He clarified, The comments made by BJP Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui have been misconstrued. He simply made a limited point about highlighting Col Qureshi as an example of an empowered Muslim woman within the community. Siddiqui aimed to encourage women, particularly from minority backgrounds, to empower themselves and consider joining the National Cadet Corps (NCC) or the armed forces through the Agniveer scheme. The idea is to mobilise women and make them feel empowered, he stated.