Bhopal, May 16 (PTI) A group of Congress MLAs on Friday began an indefinite sit-in agitation in front of the Madhya Pradesh governor's residence here, demanding the dismissal of Minister Vijay Shah from the state cabinet for his objectionable remarks aimed at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, however, termed the protest "drama" by the opposition party and said the matter is sub judice, and nothing can be done about it.
Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, sat outside the Raj Bhavan after meeting Governor Mangubhai Patel.
Talking to PTI, Singhar said, "Yes, 15 MLAs are with me. We have started a sit-in protest indefinitely outside Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor. We have handed a memorandum to him seeking Shah's resignation."
State Tribal Affairs Minister Shah made controversial statements during a public event in a rural area in Indore district earlier this week without naming Qureshi. Through his comments, the minister tried to present Colonel Sofia as the “sister of terrorists”.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the remarks, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against him.
The Congress has been demanding Shah's resignation.
"It has been three days, and Shah has not been sacked yet. We want his resignation, and hence, we have taken to the streets," the Congress leader said.
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing on a plea filed by Shah, challenging a May 14 order of the Madhya Pradesh High directing an FIR against him for the comments, and posted it on May 19.
Talking to reporters, Yadav said, "No matter how much drama Congress does, it knows that the matter is sub judice. When the entire matter is before the court, they are not above it."
He pointed out that there was also a case against Singhar, and they should first ask for his resignation from the post.
The chief minister claimed that the Congress has not respected court verdicts in the past.
"The Allahabad High Court gave a decision against Congress leader Indira Gandhi when she was the Prime Minister, and the party, in turn, imposed an emergency in the entire country," he said.
After the Allahabad High Court, the Supreme Court gave the decision on triple talaq, but the Congress changed the law in the Parliament, he said, adding that the Narendra Modi government has respected the court verdict on triple talaq and implemented the Apex Court's decision on Ram Mandir by maintaining Hindu-Muslim unity.
"We always follow the court's decisions, but if anyone has a record of making fun of the decisions, it is the Congress," he said.
Yadav said the government would honour whatever decision the court makes Shah's matter.
The chief minister visited Bansal Hospital, along with our MLA Rameshwar Sharma, to inquire about the wellbeing of two jawans of the 25th Battalion of Madhya Pradesh police who were injured in a grenade explosion during a mock drill in Bhopal.
"I have given instructions to make proper arrangements for their treatment," he said, adding that the incident will be probed.