Bhopal:
A police case will be filed against Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah over his derogatory, communal and sexist comments on Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the state High Court has ordered. Taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, which has sparked a wave of condemnation, the court directed the state police chief today to file a First Information Report against Vijay Shah.The court said this must be completed by this evening, failing which the court may consider initiating contempt proceedings against the police chief.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and another officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, have been the face of the army during the media conferences on Operation Sindoor. Both have frequently joined Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during the briefings.
What The Court said
The Jabalpur High Court bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla lashed out at Mr Shah for using “language of the gutters” against a senior Indian Army officer.
Terming the comments “dangerous” and “disparaging”, the judges said they were also prima facie offences under two stringent sections of Indian law.
The Bench expressed concern that such a statement “encourages feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feeling to anyone who is Muslim,” thereby violating the constitutional spirit of unity and fraternity.
In a sharply worded observation, the Court said: “The armed forces, perhaps the last institution existing in this country, reflecting integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage… has been targeted by Mr. Vijay Shah who has used the language of the gutters against Col. Sofia Quraishi.”
The court said there could be no doubt about who the minister was referring to.
Colonel Quraishi was shockingly referred to by Mr Shah as “the sister of the terrorists who carried out the killings of 26 innocent Indians at Pahalgam”, the court said.
“This court is, prima facie, satisfied that the first offence made out against the minister was under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita,” the judges said.
The section deals with acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India and is punishable by life term in jail.
In addition, the court held that Section 196 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with promoting enmity between communities and disturbing public harmony, also applied.
The Minister’s Remarks
On Tuesday, Mr Shah, the Tribal Affairs Minister of Madhya Pradesh, speaking at a cultural event in Mhow, said, the terrorists had “wiped the sindoor of our sisters and daughters, and we sent their own sister to give it back to them in kind”. Click here for India Pakistan Ceasefire Live Updates
“They stripped Hindus and killed them, and Modi-ji sent their sister to return the favour. We couldn’t undress them, so we sent a daughter from their community… You widowed sisters of our community, so a sister of your community will strip you naked. Modi-ji proved that the daughters of your caste can be sent to Pakistan to take revenge,” the minister had added.
His comments were made before an audience that included Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, MLA and former Cabinet minister Usha Thakur, and several local leaders of the BJP.
The comments were condemned by the army veterans and the Opposition parties. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge called for his sacking.
The party found an unexpected ally. “Vijay Shah ji should be dismissed from the post of minister and FIR should be lodged against him immediately because he has brought shame to the entire nation,” former Chief Minister of the state Uma Bharati posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Vijay Shah initially said his comments were reported out of context, then offered to apologise.
“Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is more important than my sister to me because she rose above caste and community and took revenge. I did not intend any offence. Still, if anyone felt bad, I apologise not once but ten times,” he had said.
