The Madhya Pradesh Police have filed a case against the state’s Tribal Welfare Minister, Kunwar Vijay Shah, following a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The legal action stems from derogatory comments made by Shah against Indian Army Colonel Sophia Qureshi during a controversial speech. The case has been registered under sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and was filed by Manpur police as per the court’s orders.
The controversy began when Shah, during a speech referencing the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22, claimed that a woman from the same community as the attackers—referring to Colonel Qureshi—was sent to Pakistan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as retribution. His comments included calling her a “sister of terrorists” and accusing a community of making Hindu women widows. These inflammatory remarks were deemed prima facie criminal by the High Court, which took up the matter suo motu and warned of contempt proceedings if a case was not registered.
Following public outrage, the minister issued an apology, stating that his words had been misinterpreted and emphasizing his respect for the Indian Army and Colonel Qureshi. He said he respected her “more than his own sister” and would apologize multiple times if his remarks had caused offense. Despite the apology, legal proceedings are underway based on the High Court’s firm stance on upholding the dignity of armed forces personnel.
