The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken a tough stand against state minister Vijay Kumar Shah over his controversial remarks about Colonel Sofia Qureshi. In a strongly worded order, the division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla directed the state government to file an FIR against Shah within four hours. The court, which took suo motu cognisance of the matter, set a strict 6 pm deadline on Wednesday for registering the FIR and submitting a compliance report.
Shah’s remarks have sparked a nationwide uproar, with opposition parties, including the Congress, demanding his immediate removal from the cabinet. Despite the minister issuing a public apology on Tuesday, the controversy has continued to escalate, drawing widespread criticism. The high court’s intervention has added a fresh layer of pressure, signaling that the matter is far from being settled.
Uma Bharti's stern message
In a social media post on X, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Uma Bharti called for the immediate dismissal and filing of an FIR against Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah, saying, "Both his removal from the ministerial post and the FIR should happen without delay, as he has brought shame to the entire nation."
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari has also filed a formal complaint against Shah over the incident. Speaking to the media in Bhopal, Patwari said, "We have registered an FIR against Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah. In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi saluted the valour of the armed forces and expressed solidarity with them in this difficult time. Yet, a minister from Madhya Pradesh insulted army officers and our sisters. Why is the BJP silent on this? If he is not dismissed within 24 hours, we will lodge an FIR against Kunwar Vijay Shah in all police stations across the country."
Meanwhile, there are indications that the Mohan Yadav government might be preparing to take further action against Shah. According to local media reports, the minister could be removed from his post as early as Thursday. However, there has been no official word from the BJP on this yet, leaving the situation uncertain as political tensions rise.