“Go And Apologise”: India’s Top Court To Minister For Colonel Sofiya Qureshi Comment
India's Chief Justice, BR Gavai, termed the minister's remarks as insensitive and unacceptable, asserting that those holding constitutional posts must be restrained in speech.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court of today sternly reprimanded Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah for his offensive comments made against Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. The Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, called the minister’s remarks unacceptable and insensitive, saying that people holding constitutional posts must have restraint in their speech.
Chief Justice Gavai interrogated the behavior of Mr Shah by saying, “What kind of remarks are you making? You must use some sense of sensibility. Go and apologize in High Court.”
The comments, which have been widely condemned by the Opposition, ex-servicemen, and even some BJP members, prompted an FIR against the minister. The court declined to stall the High Court order for criminal proceedings to be initiated against him.
“Nothing will happen to you in a day. You know who you are,” said the Supreme Court in turning down a request for interim protection from arrest.
The row began after a public speech given by Mr Shah, the Tribal Welfare Minister of Madhya Pradesh, on May 12 in Raikunda village in Indore. Addressing a local gathering, Mr Shah made remarks that were widely seen as communal, gendered, and insulting towards Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a high-ranking Indian Army officer who has become a regular in national press briefings on Operation Sindoor, frequently appearing alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
In his address, Mr Shah mentioned the recent Pahalgam terror attack, when 26 individuals lost their lives, and tried to make a comparison with how the Indian Army reacted.
He argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “sent their [terrorists’] sister” — a subtle hint towards Colonel Qureshi — on a military flight to attack back those behind it.
“They [terrorists] made our sisters widows, so Modi ji sent a sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson,” said Mr Shah. “They naked our Hindu brothers before they killed them. We replied by sending their own sister to strike them in their homes.”
Though Mr Shah didn’t directly name Colonel Qureshi, the context and the timing of the statement left nothing to the imagination.
The Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh High Court, noticing the issue, passed a sternly worded order, asking the Director General of Police in the state to file an FIR against the minister by evening on the same day.
The court threatened that a failure to comply would lead to contempt proceedings.
The High Court mentioned that Mr Shah’s remarks were offences under Indian law and represented a serious challenge to communal harmony. The Court further saw that the armed forces were “perhaps the last institution in this country” embodying integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage.
