Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah has approached the Supreme Court seeking relief from the FIR registered against him over his controversial remarks about Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. The FIR was registered following an order by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The High Court’s Jabalpur Bench had taken suo motu cognizance of Shah’s speech referring to Colonel Qureshi—who served as the spokesperson during ‘Operation Sindoor’—and directed the Director General of Police to register a case within four hours. The Court condemned the minister’s language, calling it “gutter-level”.
Following this directive, an FIR was lodged on the evening of May 14 at Manpur Police Station in Mhow tehsil of Indore district. The charges have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically:
- Section 152: Acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India
- Section 196(1)(b): Promoting enmity between different communities
- Section 197(1)(c): Making statements detrimental to harmony based on religion, language, or community identity
In his petition before the Supreme Court, Vijay Shah contended that the action taken was disproportionate and that his remarks were misrepresented and taken out of context. He also emphasized that he has already apologized for his statement. His counsel is expected to request an urgent hearing on the matter before the apex court.
The controversy stems from Shah’s public speech referencing Colonel Qureshi in a derogatory manner while discussing a recent counter-terror operation. The remarks sparked widespread criticism and led to judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court is yet to schedule a hearing on the minister’s plea.
