Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal
Bhopal, May 14: In a strongly worded move, the Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday ordered police to register an FIR against state minister Vijay Shah for making derogatory and inflammatory remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a senior Indian Army officer.
The court, taking suo motu cognisance of the comments, described Shah's language as “gutter-like” and “scurrilous,” and said his words undermined the values upheld by the armed forces — integrity, discipline, honour, and selflessness.
Colonel Qureshi gained public attention after she participated in press briefings alongside senior officials regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’, a recent military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
During a public address in Ramkunda village near Indore, Shah — who is the tribal affairs minister and a BJP leader — made disparaging remarks attempting to link Col Qureshi with terrorists. The comments triggered outrage across political and public spheres.
The division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla instructed the state police to lodge the FIR by 6 p.m. on Wednesday. It warned that failure to comply could lead to contempt proceedings against the state’s Director General of Police.
The FIR is to be filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with promoting enmity, endangering national integrity, and inciting hatred among groups.
Emphasising the military’s foundational role in the nation’s values, the court noted that it was compelled to act following wide media coverage of the incident. “The armed forces, perhaps the last institution in this country that embodies character and courage, have been shamefully targeted,” the order said.
Facing backlash, Shah has since issued an apology, stating that if his remarks hurt anyone, he was willing to apologise “ten times” and affirmed his respect for Colonel Qureshi.
The Congress party has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Shah from the cabinet, labelling the minister’s behaviour unacceptable.