Mr. Devda, who belongs to Scheduled Caste (SC), however promptly came out with a clarification saying that ‘My statement has been mischievously twisted by the media.
Bhopal: Amid raging row over Madhya Pradesh tribal welfare minister Vijay Shah’s ‘sister of terrorists’ comment targeting Col Sofya Qureshi, deputy CM in the Mohan Yadav government Jagdish Devda on Friday stoked a controversy by purportedly saying that the country and military bow at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet for launching Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam massacre of Hindu tourists by the terrorists.
Mr. Devda, who belongs to Scheduled Caste (SC), however promptly came out with a clarification saying that ‘My statement has been mischievously twisted by the media. It is clearly not what I said. It is a conspiracy (against him) and those behind it should face strict action’.
Addressing the civil defence volunteers at Jabalpur in the state on Friday, Mr. Devda said ‘We would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The entire country, the country’s Army, and its soldiers are bowing at his feet (for taking action against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam carnage)’.
He later accused Congress of deliberately twisting his statement by presenting it in a wrong way.
“Congress has deliberately twisted my words to present in a way as if I meant to say that the Indian military bows at the feet of PM Mr. Modi. I have never made such a statement”, he said.
Mr. Devda, a six-time MLA, further clarified that he had commended the Army for the success of the Operation Sindoor and said the people of the country bow before the Indian military.
He also thanked the PM Mr. Modi for responding to the Pahalgam incident by ordering retaliatory action against Pakistan.
Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi took to X to condemn Mr. Devda’s remarks on the military.
“First, a minister of Madhya Pradesh made an indecent comment on women soldiers, and now their Deputy Chief Minister has grossly insulted the Army. The people of the entire country are proud of the valour of the Army, but people from BJP are insulting the Army. Instead of taking action against these leaders, the BJP is putting all its efforts to save them”, Ms. Gandhi’s post on X said.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Umang Singhar called Mr. Devda’s statement a ‘cheap’ comment against the military.
BJP has however said Mr. Devda’s track record shows that he has high respect for the Indian military, and the Constitution of India.
“But Congress is targeting him by misleading his statement because he is a dalit”, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said.
State tribal welfare minister Mr. Shah, a tribal, has landed in a row by making ‘sister of terrorists’ remarks at a public function recently targeting Col Qureshi.
