SC pulls up MP minister Vijay Shah for nauseating remarks against Col Qureshi
Terming Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah’s controversial remarks against Col Sophia Qureshi as “irresponsible”, “unacceptable” and “insensitive”, the Supreme Court on Thursday said persons holding constitutional positions should exercise restraint in their public utterances.
“What sort of comments are you making? You should show some sense of responsibility… Go and apologise to the (Madhya Pradesh) high court,” a Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih told senior counsel Vibha Dutta Makhija after she sought an urgent hearing of Shah’s petition against the high court’s order for registration of an FIR against the minister for his nauseating remarks against Col Qureshi.
“When this country is going through such a situation, he (Minister Vijay Shah) has to know what he is saying,” CJI Gavai said.
“Persons holding such an office are expected to maintain such a degree of ...every sentence uttered by a minister has to be with responsibility,” the Bench said.
Makhija urged the top court to stay the high court’s order for registration of an FIR or at least further action on the FIR, saying, “He (the minister) has expressed remorse… He has been misunderstood... The media overhyped it.”
Initially, the Bench asked Shah to approach the high court but later agreed to take up on Friday his plea challenging the high court’s order for registration of an FIR against him.
Along with IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Col Qureshi has been the face of India’s press briefings on ‘Operation Sindoor’ as the two women officers flanked Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in their interaction with the media.
In an embarrassment to the BJP, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against state’s Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah for passing “dangerous” and “scurrilous” remarks using “language of the gutters” against Col Sophia Qureshi.
Taking suo motu cognisance of Shah's controversial utterances, a Division Bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla of the Madhya Pradesh High Court said his remarks had the propensity to cause disharmony, feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between members of different religions.
The remarks were “disparaging” to the armed forces, which is “perhaps the last institution in the country” that reflects integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage, it said.
The high court directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to file the FIR against Shah under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 196 (1) (b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups).
Shah – a Madhya Pradesh BJP leader -- sparked a major controversy with his objectionable comments against Col Qureshi, whom he tried to project as a “sister of terrorists” while addressing a gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore on Monday, prompting the Congress to demand his resignation.
After he came under fire for his remarks, Shah said if anyone was hurt by his statement, he was ready to apologise 10 times and that he respected Col Qureshi more than his sister.
“The armed forces, perhaps the last institution existing in this country, reflecting integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage with which any citizen of this country who values the same can identify themselves with, has been targeted by Mr. Vijay Shah who has used the language of the gutters against Col Sofia Qureshi,” the order said.
Shah’s statement prima facie has the propensity to cause disharmony and feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will between the members of the Muslim faith and other persons who do not belong to the same religion, the high court said.
