Madhya Pradesh HC orders FIR against BJP minister over remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi

On Wednesday, the Madhya Pradesh high court mandated the filing of an FIR against BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his offensive comments about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. The court instructed the director general of police to act by this evening, cautioning that non-compliance would result in proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act.

The minister’s attorney contended that the court’s decision relied entirely on news articles. In reply, the court announced that it would henceforth incorporate video links into the official record. When the advocate general asked for additional time, Justice Atul Sreedharan noted, “I might not be here tomorrow,” highlighting the matter’s urgency.

The court noted that Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which punishes speeches or actions that provoke hostility between various groups based on religion, is, at first glance, relevant in this situation.

A political dispute ignited in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday when state tribal affairs minister Vijay Shah commented on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, one of the two women Army officers who spoke to the media about Operation Sindoor. The Congress criticized the minister, with party leader Mallikarjun Kharge labeling the remarks as “disgraceful and indecent.”

The disputed comments from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader occurred at an event in Indore on Monday. After receiving extensive backlash from the opposition and disapproval from his own party, he offered an apology on Tuesday.