
Col Qureshi, Wg Cdr Vyomika to be facesof BJP's campaign on 11 yrs of Modi govt
Lucknow: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who led India's press briefings on
Operation Sindoor
, will be the faces of an ambitious women-centric campaign scheduled to be rolled out by the BJP on the completion of 11 years of the Narendra Modi-led govt on June 9.
The BJP has asked its minority wing to mobilise its cadres to organise "chaupals" highlighting Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as "role models" for women, particularly from minority communities.
BJP's Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told TOI thay the campaign would be carried out around minority institutions, mosques, dargahs, gurudwaras and churches situated in all organisational divisions across the country.
The first chaupal is proposed to be organised in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh — the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019.
"The idea is to mobilise women and make them feel empowered," Siddiqui said, stressing that the campaign will aim to encourage women to join the NCC and Agniveer Scheme. "Military training can come in handy in every possible way for women in everyday lives or dealing with domestic violence," he said.
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Political experts said that the selection of Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as the face of a women-centric campaign by the BJP marks a strategic move that seeks to blend military valour, national pride and gender empowerment into a powerful political narrative. An analyst said that women-centric policies and empowerment become a key pillar in showcasing governance successes. In fact, in the recent elections, women emerged as critical swing voters, especially in politically crucial states like Uttar Pradesh.
Colonel Qureshi, who addressed the media a day after India's 'Operation Sindoor' to target nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, is a highly decorated officer in the Indian Army's Corps of Signals. Born in Gujarat, she made history as the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multinational military drill 'Exercise Force 18' held in Pune and involving 18 ASEAN Plus nations.
She was also the only female contingent commander in the event. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who co-led the media briefing on Operation Sindoor, is a distinguished helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force and a first-generation military officer.
Sources said the BJP's campaign will also be designed to consolidate women's support by highlighting schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and the women's reservation bill.
Siddiqui said the campaign will be further widened to reach out to the minority communities and apprise them of the key welfare measures initiated by the Modi govt. Key schemes proposed to be highlighted in the process include PM Awas Yojana, PM Jan Dhan Scheme, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which benefited all sections, including Muslims.
He added that the party would also distribute copies of the Constitution among the minority community, making them aware of their rights, besides preventing them from getting swayed by "malicious narratives" peddled by the opposition parties.
Experts highlight that the campaign attains much significance in light of sustained criticism faced by the BJP over the perceived alienation of minorities, primarily Muslims.
Sources said the saffron outfit desperately seeks to reframe its relationship with minorities through development-centric messaging rather than ideologically.
Lucknow: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who led India's press briefings on Operation Sindoor, will be the faces of an ambitious women-centric campaign scheduled to be rolled out by the BJP on the completion of 11 years of the Narendra Modi-led govt on June 9.
The BJP has asked its minority wing to mobilise its cadres to organise "chaupals" highlighting Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as "role models" for women, particularly from minority communities.
BJP's Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told TOI thay the campaign would be carried out around minority institutions, mosques, dargahs, gurudwaras and churches situated in all organisational divisions across the country.
The first chaupal is proposed to be organised in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh — the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019.
"The idea is to mobilise women and make them feel empowered," Siddiqui said, stressing that the campaign will aim to encourage women to join the NCC and Agniveer Scheme. "Military training can come in handy in every possible way for women in everyday lives or dealing with domestic violence," he said.
Political experts said that the selection of Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as the face of a women-centric campaign by the BJP marks a strategic move that seeks to blend military valour, national pride and gender empowerment into a powerful political narrative. An analyst said that women-centric policies and empowerment become a key pillar in showcasing governance successes. In fact, in the recent elections, women emerged as critical swing voters, especially in politically crucial states like Uttar Pradesh.
Colonel Qureshi, who addressed the media a day after India's 'Operation Sindoor' to target nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, is a highly decorated officer in the Indian Army's Corps of Signals. Born in Gujarat, she made history as the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multinational military drill 'Exercise Force 18' held in Pune and involving 18 ASEAN Plus nations.
She was also the only female contingent commander in the event. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who co-led the media briefing on Operation Sindoor, is a distinguished helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force and a first-generation military officer.
Sources said the BJP's campaign will also be designed to consolidate women's support by highlighting schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and the women's reservation bill.
Siddiqui said the campaign will be further widened to reach out to the minority communities and apprise them of the key welfare measures initiated by the Modi govt. Key schemes proposed to be highlighted in the process include PM Awas Yojana, PM Jan Dhan Scheme, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which benefited all sections, including Muslims.
He added that the party would also distribute copies of the Constitution among the minority community, making them aware of their rights, besides preventing them from getting swayed by "malicious narratives" peddled by the opposition parties. Experts highlight that the campaign attains much significance in light of sustained criticism faced by the BJP over the perceived alienation of minorities, primarily Muslims.
Sources said the saffron outfit desperately seeks to reframe its relationship with minorities through development-centric messaging rather than ideologically.
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