The Madhya Pradesh High Court has suo motu ordered the registration of an FIR against Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, a senior BJP leader, for his derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a decorated Indian Army officer who played a public role during India’s Operation Sindoor.

Shah stirred massive controversy after referring to Col Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists”, prompting condemnation from across the political spectrum. The court observed that prima facie offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were evident in his comments, warranting police investigation.

The incident escalated after viral videos showed Shah making inflammatory remarks,“Those who wiped the vermilion off our daughters’ foreheads… we sent their sister to teach them a lesson.”

“Since Modi ji could not remove their clothes, he sent a sister of their community to strip them naked,” Shah was recorded saying.

These remarks were interpreted as communal, misogynistic, and disrespectful to women in uniform, especially in the context of Colonel Qureshi’s role in briefing the media on India’s strong military response following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned the remarks as “extremely unfortunate” and an insult to all women serving the nation. NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar called for respect for women in uniform, describing Col Qureshi as a “proud daughter of the nation.”

After intense public backlash, Shah issued a statement of clarification and later apologized, saying,”If my words have hurt society and religion, I am ready to apologise ten times.”

The Congress party was quick to demand his immediate dismissal, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge branding the remarks as shameful and vulgar, and a direct insult to the Indian Armed Forces. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari filed a formal complaint, asking why the BJP remained silent on such a grave issue.

Umang Singhar, Leader of Opposition in MP, reiterated that army officers have no religion, stating,”If my words have hurt society and religion, I am ready to apologise ten times.”

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi served alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh in the tri-services press team for Operation Sindoor, showcasing India’s unified stance against terrorism.

The FIR marks a rare judicial intervention in a politically sensitive matter, signaling zero tolerance for hate speech, especially against the armed forces and women officers.

In a major step forward for India’s defense capabilities, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has successfully test-fired the ‘Bhargavastra,’ a cutting-edge, homegrown counter-swarm drone system designed to neutralize the growing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms. The successful trials were conducted on May 13, 2025, at the Seaward Firing Range in Gopalpur, marking a significant achievement in the nation’s journey toward self-reliance in defense technology under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The test firing saw three successful trials, which included two single-rocket launches and a third involving a two-rocket salvo, demonstrating the system’s impressive performance in neutralizing large-scale drone attacks. All rockets met the required launch parameters, confirming the ‘Bhargavastra’ system’s operational reliability and effectiveness in countering advanced aerial threats.

A key feature of the ‘Bhargavastra’ system is its low-cost, hard-kill capability, which employs unguided micro-rockets to destroy drones within a lethal radius of 20 meters, at distances of up to 2.5 kilometers. Additionally, its advanced radar, with a detection range of 6 to 10 kilometers, can identify even micro-drones with low radar cross-sections (LRCS). The system is equipped with an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor suite, ensuring high-precision tracking and identification of drone targets.

What truly distinguishes the ‘Bhargavastra’ from other counter-drone systems is its multi-layered defense approach. The system operates as the first layer of defense with unguided rockets, followed by a guided micro-missile layer for precise targeting of more challenging threats. The system’s modular design allows it to integrate additional soft-kill capabilities, such as electronic jamming and spoofing, enabling operators to disable drones without physical destruction.

Moreover, the ‘Bhargavastra’ is adaptable for deployment across a variety of terrains, including high-altitude regions above 5,000 meters, making it suitable for India’s diverse operational environments. The system’s Command-and-Control Centre incorporates state-of-the-art C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) technology, enabling comprehensive situational awareness and seamless integration into India’s existing network-centric warfare infrastructure.

With its open-source architecture and cost-effectiveness, the ‘Bhargavastra’ positions India as a global leader in counter-drone technology, especially with its swarm-neutralization capabilities. SDAL claims that no other country has yet developed a domestically produced counter-drone system of this caliber.

The successful test firing of the ‘Bhargavastra’ highlights India’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its air defense systems in the face of evolving security threats posed by the proliferation of drones worldwide. As a fully indigenous solution, the system further reduces India’s reliance on foreign defense imports, aligning with the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) policy and the defense reforms under the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, which prioritize domestic manufacturing.

This achievement represents a major milestone in India’s defense sector, reaffirming the country’s technological expertise and capability in providing robust, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to modern security challenges. The ‘Bhargavastra’ system’s success not only enhances India’s air defense infrastructure but also underscores the country’s growing influence on the global stage in defense technology.

In a sharp escalation of diplomatic hostilities, Pakistan has expelled a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, declaring them persona non grata for allegedly engaging in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. The move comes in direct retaliation to India’s expulsion of a Pakistani diplomat from New Delhi earlier the same day.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Indian official has been given 24 hours to leave the country. The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was summoned and handed a formal diplomatic demarche, echoing the tone and language used in India’s earlier announcement—highlighting the tit-for-tat nature of the latest diplomatic standoff.

The incident stems from a chain of events that began on May 11, when two individuals were arrested in Malerkotla, Punjab, for allegedly participating in an espionage network linked to a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in New Delhi. On May 13, India responded by expelling the Pakistani staffer, accusing them of involvement in spying activities and giving them 24 hours to leave.

Pakistan’s retaliatory expulsion is widely seen as an effort to maintain diplomatic parity, a recurring theme in the rocky relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The expulsions come amid heightened tensions following the April 23 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. In its aftermath, India took a series of unprecedented steps, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari land border crossing. Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian flights and issuing strong warnings over the water-sharing agreement, declaring any tampering with it would be considered an act of war.

Such diplomatic expulsions are not new in India-Pakistan relations. A similar standoff occurred in 2020 when India expelled two Pakistani High Commission officials on charges of espionage, triggering a diplomatic protest from Islamabad. Both nations continue to cite the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which grants host countries the right to declare diplomats persona non grata without explanation.

Reactions to the current spat have been mixed. While some foreign policy analysts call Pakistan’s response routine and predictable, others see it as symptomatic of a deeper, worsening mistrust. The situation is further exacerbated by frequent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the long-standing conflict over Kashmir.

With the number of Pakistani diplomatic staff in New Delhi now reduced to 30 and a similar reduction expected for India in Islamabad, the scope for meaningful diplomatic engagement appears limited. The international community, including bodies like the United Nations and the World Bank—guardians of key treaties like the Indus Waters Treaty—may be compelled to intervene if tensions continue to spiral.