Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed police to file a criminal case against BJP minister Vijay Shah. His controversial comment about Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi sparked nationwide outrage.
Jabalpur: Today, On May 14, The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered that a criminal case be filed against BJP leader and Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anuradha Shukla instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to promptly register an FIR against Shah under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Court further stated that the FIR must be registered by this evening, failing which proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act would be initiated against the DGP on the following day.
Justice Sreedharan told Advocate General Prashant Singh that,
“I shall take no excuse. Ensure that it is done. Otherwise I can assure you, I promise, the State would face extreme embarrassment and I couldn’t care less,”
This comes after his speech near Indore, where he made a statement that many people found offensive and communal.
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His comment was aimed at Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and it has led to strong criticism from the public, opposition parties, army veterans, and civil society groups.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi has been one of the leading faces giving updates about Operation Sindoor.
She has been seen along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh in several media briefings.
The Court noted that Shah had employed “the language of the gutters” in reference to Colonel Qureshi.
It further remarked,
“His comments are disparaging and dangerous, not just to the officer in question but to the armed forces itself.”
While Minister Shah was trying to praise her role in the mission, he ended up saying something that connected her religion and gender to terrorism, which sparked a huge controversy.
In his speech, Vijay Shah said:
“Those people [terrorists] who had wiped out the sindoor [vermilion] of our sisters in the Pahalgam terror attack… We avenged these ‘kate-pite’ people by sending their sister to destroy them… PM Modi ji responded by sending the sister of their community in an Army plane to strike them in their houses,”
He mentioned the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people had lost their lives. He said that the attack was a major incident that made India take a strong step in reply.
However, many people felt that his way of praising Colonel Qureshi was wrong and disrespectful.
The language he used made it look like her religion and gender were more important than her role as a soldier. This made the situation worse.
After facing so much criticism, Shah tried to take back his words and clarify his intention.
He said:
“Sister Sofiya has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion. She is more respected than our own sister. I salute her for her service to the nation. We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams. Still, if my words have hurt society and religion, then I am ready to apologise ten times,”
But by then, the situation had already escalated. The Congress party reacted strongly.
They said that what Shah said was not only insulting to a brave soldier but also harmful to national unity and the dignity of women in India.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge posted a sharp response on the social media platform X, asking Prime Minister Modi to remove Shah from his post.
Kharge wrote:
“A minister of the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has made a very derogatory, shameful and cheap remark about our brave daughter Colonel Sofiya Qureshi… The terrorists of Pahalgam wanted to divide the country, but the country was united during the entire ‘Operation Sindoor’ to give a befitting reply,”
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari also shared a video of Shah’s speech.
He said the minister’s comment showed the “low thinking” and “hate-filled mindset” inside the BJP.
As of now, the BJP has not made any official announcement about whether it will take any action against Vijay Shah.
This issue has created a lot of political and public discussion.
Many people believe that government leaders should be more careful with their words, especially when speaking about our army and national security matters.
The court’s order to register a criminal case shows that such statements will not be taken lightly and must be addressed legally.
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