Remarks on Col Sofiya Qureshi: SC To Hear MP Minister Vijay Shahs Plea Today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is ready to listen to the plea of Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah on Friday, difficult a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that initiated suo motu contempt complaints towards him. 

The High Court had taken cognisance of Shah’s remarks directed at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who briefed the media referring to Operation Sindoor. The subject used to be discussed for pressing checklist ahead of the Bench of the Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, and Justice George Augustine Masih.

The Supreme Court on Thursday puzzled the sense of duty of Madhya Pradesh Minister Shah, who reportedly made derogatory remarks about Colonel Qureshi.

“What sort of statements are you making… A responsible Minister of the government, that too when the country Is undergoing such a situation… A person holding a Constitutional office is expected to exercise a degree of restraint. Every sentence uttered by a Minister must be with a sense of responsibility,” Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai reproached Shah’s remarks concerning the girl officer.

Shah, represented via senior suggest Vibha Dutta Makhija, has moved the Supreme Court for a keep of a First Information Report (FIR) registered towards him at the orders of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The apex courtroom agreed to listen to his case on May 16, 2025.

The apex courtroom urged the Minister’s attorneys to tell the High Court, which had indexed the case on May 15, concerning the May 16 listening to. The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the feedback made via the Minister. Makhija, in an oral bringing up for early listening to, submitted that the feedback had been “unfortunately over-hyped” via the media.

The Minister used to be no longer given a chance to be heard via the High Court ahead of it handed the order to the police to sign up an FIR. She argued that the High Court may have exceeded its jurisdiction. At that time, Chief Justice Gavai requested why the Minister will have to means the Supreme Court immediately, and no longer struggle his case within the High Court itself.

“Somebody is a Minister, so it should be entertained here?” Chief Justice Gavai requested Makhija. The senior legal professional mentioned Shah has publicly expressed regret, and he or she had a recording of it.

On Wednesday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) to sign up a felony case towards Shah inside of 4 hours and warned the DGP of contempt motion in case of any prolong in compliance.

A bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla of the Madhya Pradesh High Court mentioned that prima facie, an offence of marketing enmity between other castes, faith and language used to be made out.

The Justice Sreedharan-led Bench opined that regarding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists” is an offence of wounding the feelings and religion of the Muslim neighborhood.

Talking about Operation Sindoor, Vijay Shah, on Monday, had mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had despatched a “sister from the same community” as the ones in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 terror strike in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. “PM Modi is striving for the society. Those who widowed our daughters (in Pahalgam), we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson,” Shah had mentioned.

The distasteful remarks towards Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who briefed the media all the way through Operation Sindoor towards Pakistan, sparked national outrage. Following the incident, the Minister apologised from the “bottom of his heart” and mentioned he respects the Armed Forces and discussed Colonel Sofiya as “sister”.

“I, Vijay Shah, am not only ashamed and saddened by my recent statement, which has hurt the sentiments of every community, but I also apologise from the bottom of my heart. Our country’s sister Sofia Qureshi ji has worked rising above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty,” he mentioned in a video message posted at the social media platform X.

In his petition filed ahead of the Top Court, Shah sought quashing of the FIR in addition to the suo motu complaints initiated via the Madhya Pradesh High Court.