Bhopal, May 14: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the registration of a first information report (FIR) against state minister Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks allegedly targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior officer involved in Operation Sindoor.
A division bench comprising Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla took suo motu cognisance of Shah’s statement, which triggered widespread condemnation across political and public circles.
The bench instructed police authorities to register the FIR by 6 p.m. Wednesday and inform the court accordingly.
The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. A detailed order from the court is awaited.
Colonel Qureshi, who gained national attention for her role in briefing the media during Operation Sindoor—an Indian military offensive against terrorists—had appeared alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh Shah in several official briefings.
The controversy erupted after Vijay Shah, the state’s tribal affairs minister and BJP leader, made remarks perceived as attempting to label Colonel Qureshi a “sister of terrorists.” His comments, widely circulated through a video released by the Congress, were met with fierce backlash from political opponents and civil society alike.
The Congress demanded Shah’s immediate removal from the state cabinet, calling the remarks “insulting to the armed forces and shameful for a public servant.”
Under mounting pressure, Shah issued a statement saying, “If anyone is hurt by my comments, I am ready to apologise ten times. I have great respect for Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.”
Despite the apology, public outrage persisted, prompting judicial intervention and now, formal legal proceedings.
