Madhya Pradesh Minister Challenges Court Order Over Controversial Remarks on Army Officer
Supreme Court Appeal by Vijay Shah
New Delhi: Vijay Shah, the Tribal Affairs Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has approached the Supreme Court to contest a ruling from the MP High Court that mandated the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) regarding his contentious comments about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, an Army officer.
In a suo moto action, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate a criminal case against Shah under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) within a four-hour timeframe, cautioning the DGP about potential contempt charges for any delays.
The bench, comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla, indicated that there appeared to be a case for promoting discord among various castes, religions, and languages.
Justice Sreedharan's bench noted that calling Colonel Sofiya Qureshi a 'sister of terrorists' constituted an offense that could offend the sentiments of the Muslim community.
During discussions about Operation Sindoor, Shah remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dispatched a 'sister from the same community' as those in Pakistan to retaliate for the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22.
"PM Modi is working for society. Those who caused our daughters to become widows in Pahalgam, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson," Shah stated.
His derogatory comments regarding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who played a key role in media briefings during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, ignited widespread public outrage.
In response to the backlash, the Minister expressed his sincere apologies, stating he holds the Armed Forces in high regard and referred to Colonel Sofiya as 'sister.'
"I, Vijay Shah, feel deeply ashamed and saddened by my recent remarks, which have hurt the sentiments of every community. Our country's sister, Sofia Qureshi ji, has served above caste and societal lines while fulfilling her national duty," he conveyed in a video message shared on social media.
In his petition to the Supreme Court, Shah is seeking to annul the FIR and the suo motu proceedings initiated by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.