The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday strongly condemned state minister Vijay Shah for making “scurrilous” and “gutter language” remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The court directed the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Shah on charges of promoting enmity and hatred.
In its observation, the division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla noted that the armed forces are “perhaps the last institution in this country” that exemplify integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour, and indomitable courage.
Colonel Qureshi recently garnered national attention for regularly briefing the media—alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh—on ‘Operation Sindoor’, a cross-border military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Vijay Shah, the Tribal Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader, triggered widespread outrage after making objectionable comments during a public address in Ramkunda village near Indore on Monday. He attempted to malign Colonel Qureshi by associating her with terrorists, referring to her as a “sister of terrorists.”
Taking suo motu cognisance of the remarks, the court directed immediate legal action, mandating the registration of an FIR against Shah under relevant sections of the law for inciting communal hatred.
