SC pulls up MP minister for remarks against Col Sofiya
Terming Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah’s controversial remarks against Col Sophia Qureshi as “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 remarks against Col Qureshi.
“When this country is going through such a situation, he (Minister Vijay Shah) has to know what he is saying. Persons holding such an office are expected to maintain a degree of restraint. Every sentence uttered by a minister has to be said with responsibility,” CJI Gavai 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 his plea challenging the high court’s order for registration of an FIR against him on Friday.
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 MP 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 high court directed the state DGP to file an FIR against Shah under the 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 comments against Col Qureshi, whom he tried to project as a “sister of terrorists” while addressing a gathering at 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.
India