New Delhi/Jabalpur May 14 (PTI) The Jabalpur High Court on Wednesday ordered the registration of an FIR against Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah who has attracted all-round flak for his purported controversial remarks targetting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
Shah hit the headlines after a video, which went viral, showed the him purportedly making objectionable remarks against Col Qureshi, who was a prominent face of the armed forces along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during media briefings on Operation Sindoor.
After drawing severe condemnation, the MP tribal affairs minister said if anyone is hurt by his statement, he is ready to apologise ten times, adding that he respects Col Qureshi more than his sister.
Opposition parties slammed Shah for his "atrocious" and "most disgraceful" comments.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, asked, "Why has the PM not yet sacked the Madhya Pradesh Minister who made the most disgraceful and totally unacceptable remarks against Col. Sofiya Qureshi? It is not enough for the National Commission on Women to deplore these remarks."
"The Minister's atrocious remarks reflect the BJP's diseased mindset really," he said.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court castigated Shah for passing "scurrilous" remarks and using "language of the gutters" against Colonel Qureshi, and ordered the police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and hatred. It also said the armed forces were "perhaps the last institution in this country" that reflect integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the controversial statements, the high court's division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla ordered the police to register a first information report (FIR) against the minister. The court directed the police department to register the FIR by 6 pm on Wednesday, and also directed it to inform about it.
The division bench directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to file an FIR against Shah for making a controversial statement for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 196 (1) (b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups).
"The same must be done by today evening, failing which tomorrow, when the matter is listed, the court may contemplate proceeding against the Director General of Police of the State for contempt of this order," the court order said.
The Congress on Tuesday had shared the video in which Shah, while addressing a gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore on Monday, is purportedly heard saying, "'Jinhone humari betiyon ke sindoor ujade the… humne unhiki behen bhej kar ke unki aisi ki taisi karwayi' (those who wiped sindoor (vermilion) off our daughters' forehead... we sent their sister to teach them a lesson)."
Shah later claimed his remarks were being twisted by some people.
"We respect the actions taken by the Indian forces that avenged the Pahalgam terror attack in which the vermilion was wiped off the forehead of our sisters. I don't want to say anything to those who are twisting my remarks. She (Qureshi) is a sister who has enhanced our prestige, it should not be seen in any other context. We respect her and will continue to do so," he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at Shah for making "extremely insulting, shameful and vulgar remarks" about Colonel Qureshi.
"The terrorists of Pahalgam wanted to divide the country but the country was united throughout Operation Sindoor in giving a befitting reply to the terrorists," he said on Tuesday.
"The mentality of the BJP-RSS has always been anti-women. First, they trolled the wife of the naval officer martyred in Pahalgam on social media, then harassed the daughter of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and now BJP ministers are making such indecent comments about our braveheart Sofiya Qureshi," the Congress chief said.
"Modi ji should immediately dismiss such a minister," he added.
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot also condemned the remarks by the Madhya Pradesh minister and demanded his immediate removal from the cabinet and an apology from the BJP's top leadership.
The National Commission for Women strongly condemned Shah's remarks and called for respect to women in uniform.
Though Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar did not name anybody, her remarks come a day after Shah's purported remarks sparked widespread outrage.
BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday condemned the purported objectionable remarks made by Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah against Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, terming them "deeply saddening and shameful."
Shah, a BJP MLA from Harsud in Madhya Pradesh, is facing condemnation not only from the opposition parties but also his party. Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday condemned his controversial remarks and said the minister is a "fool".
Commenting on Shah's remarks, Naqvi told PTI Videos, "Wo bewakoof hain (He is a fool)."
"Kuch log josh mein hosh khone ke aadi ban gaye hain (Some people have become habitual of losing their senses out of enthusiasm)," he added.
Terming the remarks "unacceptable and condemnable", Naqvi said Shah has become a "laughing stock" by making such comments against Colonel Qureshi whose entire family remained committed to national security. The country salutes them for their nationalist resolve, he said.
The MP Congress on Wednesday held protests in Indore against Shah's objectionable comments and demanded his dismissal from the Mohan Yadav cabinet. They held a banner which described Col Qureshi as "Bharat ki Sherni" (India's tigress).
The Congress also organised protests in Bhopal and Dehradun.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav attacked Shah for his remarks, calling them "highly condemnable" and "an insult to every woman and the armed forces".