‘I apologise ten times’: FIR filed against MP Minister Vijay Shah for remarks on Colonel Qureshi

Jabalpur: An FIR has been registered against Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah following controversial remarks he made against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had briefed the media during Operation Sindoor. The FIR was filed under Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The registration of the FIR follows a suo motu cognisance taken by a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur, comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anuradha Shukla. The bench directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to file the FIR without delay, warning that failure to do so by Wednesday evening could lead to contempt proceedings against the DGP.

The court, in its order, stated: "The statement made by Minister Vijay Shah prima facie has the propensity to cause disharmony and feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will between the members of the Muslim faith and other persons who do not belong to the same religion."

The Advocate General’s Office was instructed to transmit the court’s order to the DGP’s office immediately and ensure its prompt compliance. The next hearing is scheduled for 15 May, with the court listing the matter as a top priority.

The controversy emerged after a video of Shah's speech went viral on social media. In response to the uproar, Shah issued a clarification, stating that his comments were misinterpreted and intended to highlight Colonel Qureshi’s courage.

Vijay Shah’s reaction

"My entire background is from the military. Many of my family members were martyred and were in the military... Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is above my real sister, who performed the national religion and took revenge on those people. She (Qureshi) is more important than my real sister. I had nothing in my mind; if something slipped out of the excitement and hurt someone, then I would like to apologise from the heart. Not once, but I apologise ten times."

"I am a patriotic man, and people of every community worked for the nation. If something slipped out in anger and someone felt bad, then I would like to say that I am not a god; I am also a human being. I apologise ten times for it,” he added.