Remarks on Col Qureshi: SC to hear MP minister's plea on Monday

Remarks on Col Qureshi: SC to hear MP minister's plea on Monday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea by Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah against a high court order directing an FIR against him for his remarks targeting Col Sofiya Qureshi.

As per the apex court's cause list of May 19, the plea is slated to come up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh.

On May 16, the bench had posted plea of Shah, a BJP leader, for hearing on Monday.

Shah's plea has challenged the May 14 order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court directing an FIR against him for the comments.

On May 15, the top court had reprimanded the minister and said, every word uttered by a minister has to be with a sense of responsibility at a time the country is undergoing "such a situation".

Chief Justice B R Gavai had told Shah's counsel, "What sort of statements are you making? You are a responsible minister of the government." The bench, also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, went on, "Persons holding such a constitutional office are expected to exercise a degree of restraint." The observations were made after senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija, appearing for Shah, had on May 15 mentioned the matter for urgent listing and said the high court had taken suo motu cognisance and directed an FIR.

The top court was informed that Shah, the state's tribal affairs minister, had expressed remorse for his statement.

"It was a statement which was misunderstood as well," Makhija had said, "as he never meant what is being made out by the media".

Makhija had said the petitioner was seeking a stay on the FIR as he was not heard by the high court.

Shah came under fire after a video, which was distributed widely, showed him allegedly making objectionable remarks against Col Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during recent media briefings on Operation Sindoor.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court chided Shah for passing "scurrilous" remarks and using "language of the gutters" against Col Qureshi, and ordered the police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and hatred.

"On the basis of what has been observed herein above, this court directs the Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh to register forthwith an FIR against minister Vijay Shah for offences under sections 152, 196(1)(b) and 197(1)(c) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)," the high court had said.

After drawing severe criticism, the BJP minister said he was ready to apologise 10 times if his statement had hurt anyone and he respected Col Qureshi more than his sister.

An FIR was registered against Shah in Indore district later on May 14 following the high court's order.

The FIR was registered under Sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (1)(b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups) of the BNS.