Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 26: It was a moment of great satisfaction for the family members of the proud Indian army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the face of India’s “Operation Sindoor,” when they attended the mega roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Vadodara in Gujarat on Monday morning.
The Prime Minister was welcomed by a huge crowd waving the Indian flag as he visited his home state for the first time after Operation Sindoor, the country’s latest and most decisive action against terrorism. Mr Modi himself shared a photo of Colonel Qureshi’s family at the roadshow.
PM Modi arrived at the Vadodara airport from where he held the kilometre-long roadshow till the Air Force Station. Chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ echoed through the streets while people showered flowers on him. Thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the prime minister, including Colonel Qureshi’s parents, Taj Mohammad Qureshi and Halima Qureshi, her twin sister Shyna Sunsara, and brother Sanjay Qureshi.
Speaking to reporters, Ms Sunsara said it was “a moment of pride” to take part in the roadshow. “It is a matter of pride that our Prime Minister always stands in the front and gives assurance to the people of the country that he is always with us,” she said. She said that while crossing them, PM Modi bowed down and they returned the gesture. “It was a very different moment. I cannot express it in words. It felt as if he was giving a message to the world that we are standing with you all, and no one needs to be scared,” she said.
Ms Sunsara added that PM Modi has done a lot for women’s empowerment. She said Colonel Qureshi is her twin sister, born just 15 minutes before her. “When she does something for the country, it inspires not only me but others too. She is no longer just my sister but the country’s sister as well,” added Ms Sunsara. Her father, Taj Mohammad Qureshi, said PM Modi had recognised them and greeted them. His wife, Halima Qureshi, said they greeted him with flowers. Colonel Qureshi is not only her daughter, but the daughter of our country, she added.
Their son and Colonel Qureshi’s brother, Sanjay Qureshi, said it was a “great pleasure” to see the prime minister. Speaking about his sister, he said, “I thank our defence forces and the Government of India, which gave this chance to my sister. A woman taking revenge for the suffering of other women – what can be better than this? Our forces proved to the enemy that women are no less than men.” The country cannot progress without women’s empowerment, he asserted.
PM Modi, who is on a two-day trip to his home state, expressed his gratitude and thanked the people of Vadodara in an online post. “Extremely delighted to be in this great city. It was a splendid roadshow and that too in the morning! Gratitude to all those who showered their blessings,” he said.
Later addressing a rally in Bhuj in the border district of Kutch, Mr Modi issued a sharp warning to Pakistani government and military over their support for terrorism, declaring that they must choose between peace and provocation. “If you want a life of peace, eat your roti — otherwise, my bullet is always ready,” he said. He said India’s recent counter-offensive, codenamed Operation Sindoor, was a decisive message to the world against terrorism and a clear signal to Pakistan that any provocation will be met with overwhelming force.
Speaking in Bhuj, just over two weeks after the India-Pakistan ceasefire was announced following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the Prime Minister said: “We waited 15 days for Pakistan to act against the terrorists of Pahalgam. When they didn’t, I gave full freedom to our armed forces.”
He also urged the neighbouring country’s youth to help policymakers change the trajectory of the nation. “To free Pakistan’s people from the disease of terrorism, the youth of Pakistan must come forward. Live a life of peace and prosperity. Eat your food. Otherwise, my bullet is always ready,” he said.
He lauded the Indian forces who conducted precise strikes and destroyed terror camps on Pakistani soil. “We targeted terrorist bases and reduced them to dust. We even conducted strikes from within Indian soil,” he said, referring to the strikes on jihadist terror camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
These terrorist training and indoctrination camps have been responsible not only for the Pahalgam attacks but also for attacks on the Parliament in 2001 and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. These camps also regularly try to cause instability and security issues in the Kashmir valley, with terrorists trying to indoctrinate youth into following a path of terrorism.
PM Modi added that Pakistan had targeted civilian areas in Gujarat’s Kutch and other border regions, but the Indian response was swift and punishing. “They dared to shed Indian blood. We hit back with double the strength. Their air bases are still in the ICU,” he said, as the crowd cheered.
“All of Pakistan was shivering. They had no way out. They waved the white flag and begged for a ceasefire,” Modi said. He credited the bravery of Indian women and the nation’s collective resolve for the success of the operation. “Our mothers and sisters sent me ‘sindoor’—their blessings. That’s why this mission is named Operation Sindoor, a mission to end terrorism,” he said.
Narendra Modi accused both the Pakistani government and its army of directly supporting terrorism, and said such a policy was a grave danger to the world. “For Pakistan, terrorism is like tourism. But we have a zero-tolerance policy,” he warned.