- Tuesday, July 01, 2025
The high court directed the director general of police to file the FIR against Madhya Pradesh tribal welfare minister, and a failure to do so will invite contempt
By: India Weekly
THE MADHYA PRADESH High Court on Wednesday (14) suo motu directed the registration of an FIR against BJP leader and state minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for alluding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as “sister of terrorists”.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anuradha Shukla called the minister’s remarks as “dangerous”, “scurrilous” and using “language of the gutters” against Colonel Qureshi.
The bench observed that Shah’s statement “encourages feelings of separatist activities which thereby endangers the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.”
Colonel Qureshi came into the spotlight for holding regular press briefings along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh about ‘Operation Sindoor’ conducted last week by the Indian armed forces to strike terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“The armed forces, perhaps the last institution existing in this country, reflecting integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honor and indomitable courage with which any citizen of this country who values the same can identify themselves with, has been targeted by Shah who has used the language of the gutters against Colonel Qureshi.”
The bench added that Shah’s remarks had the ‘propensity’ to fuel an impression that, irrespective of the selfless duties of a person towards India, such a person could still be derided “only because that person belongs to the Muslim faith”.
The division bench directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to file the FIR against Shah.
“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 AG Office is directed that this order shall be transmitted forthwith to the office of the DGP and ensure that it is done, the court said.
The high court’s order said, “This court has been compelled to take up this matter suo motu on account of an incident published in various newspapers and digital media that has taken place at a public function at village Raikunda in Ambedkar Nagar at Mhow on Monday.”
At a government function in Mhow, the tribal welfare minister said the prime minister had sent a “sister from the same community” as those in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 terror strike in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“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)’.”
The Congress in Madhya Pradesh has intensified its attack on the ruling BJP and demanded the dismissal of minister Vijay Shah after the Madhya Pradesh high court took action against him.
“The HC’s decision has established that Vijay Shah, apart from being a person, also represents a thought. This thought promotes narrow-mindedness and hatred in society and also affects the tradition of respecting women,” state Congress president Jitu Patwari said in a statement.
