Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders to refrain from making unnecessary or controversial statements in public, as he chaired a high-level meeting focused on good governance in the national capital.
The meeting, held in Delhi, was attended by Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states. According to sources present at the conclave, the Prime Minister expressed concern over recent remarks made by some party leaders that have drawn widespread criticism and created political unease.
“Refrain from speaking anything, anywhere,” Modi reportedly told the gathering, advising leaders to exercise caution and discipline while making public statements. His warning comes in the wake of a string of controversial comments from BJP figures in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
In particular, BJP MLA Vijay Shah stirred outrage after making offensive remarks about Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who was involved in the briefing on Operation Sindoor.
While speaking at a government function, Shah made a communal reference, suggesting the Prime Minister had sent “a sister from the same community” as those in Pakistan to avenge the deadly terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda also came under fire for his statement suggesting the Indian Army should bow before the Prime Minister. Both remarks sparked a backlash, with the opposition Congress party condemning them as “shameful” and launching statewide protests.
Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi publicly distanced himself from Shah’s comments, branding him a “fool” and saying he had become a “laughing stock.”
While BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh are under attack for their remarks on Col Qureshi and the armed forces, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, Ram Chander Jangra, is also in a spot for suggesting that the women who lost their husbands in the recent Pahalgam terror attack lacked the warrior spirit.
In the same meeting, the Prime Minister also addressed speculation surrounding Operation Sindoor, a military operation launched following the April 22 attack. Modi clarified that the ceasefire decision was taken at Pakistan’s request and ruled out any third-party involvement.
“There was no third-party mediation. Pakistan made the request for ceasefire,” sources quoted Modi as saying.
Apart from Operation Sindoor and controversial public statements, the NDA meeting also included discussions on caste-based enumeration and broader governance priorities.
Follow us
