The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against BJP Minister Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks referring to Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists”.
The order came in the wake of widespread outrage following Shah’s inflammatory comments during a public address in Ramkunda village near Indore, where he linked Col. Qureshi to terrorists while speaking about ‘Operation Sindoor’—a recent counter-terrorism mission carried out by Indian armed forces.
In his speech, the minister said:
“Those people (terrorists) who had wiped out the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters (in the Pahalgam terror attack). We avenged these ‘kate-pite’ people by sending their sister to destroy them.”
He further added: “They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson.”
The comments drew sharp criticism across the political spectrum, with the Congress party demanding Shah’s immediate dismissal from the state cabinet and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strict action.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had served as a key spokesperson during ‘Operation Sindoor’, conducting official press briefings alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, sharing updates on the mission and its strategic significance.
As public and political backlash intensified, Shah issued a statement claiming his remarks were being misconstrued, but the damage appeared to have been done. Civil society groups, veterans’ associations, and opposition leaders accused the minister of undermining the dignity of armed forces personnel and communalising military service.
In response to a petition challenging the legality of Shah’s remarks and seeking criminal proceedings, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the police to lodge an FIR, setting in motion a formal criminal investigation into the minister’s statements.
