Comments against Colonel Sofia Qureshi: Supreme Court agrees to hear on May 16 Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah's plea challenging HC order

The minister came under sharp attack for the remarks made at an event near Indore on May 12, wherein he allegedly called the woman officer a 'sister of terrorists'.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused urgent hearing on a plea by Madhya Pradesh Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah challenging the High Court's order of May 14, 2025, to register an FIR against him for "scurrilous" remarks and using "language of the gutters" against Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.

"As a Minister, he has to utter every sentence with a sense of responsibility," a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih told his counsel, senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija.

The court asked his counsel to approach the High Court, which was seized of the matter, as she sought a direction for no coercive action in the FIR lodged against him on May 14.

"Go and apply to the High Court, we will hear the matter on Friday," the bench told the counsel.

The counsel claimed the statement was taken out of context, even though the petitioner has tendered his apology.

In a special leave petition, Shah assailed the High Court's order passed in a suo motu proceedings for instituting a case against him for promoting enmity and hatred.

The minister came under sharp attack for the remarks made at an event near Indore on May 12, wherein he alleged called the woman officer as "sister of terrorists".

Colonel Qureshi came into the limelight as she held regular press briefings here about 'Operation Sindoor' related to Indian armed forces action against Pakistan-based terror groups.

Shah is the tribal affairs minister and BJP leader.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the statement, a division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla ordered the police to act against the minister.

The bench directed the police department to register the FIR by 6 pm on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also said instructions were given to take action against the minister following the court order.

On Wednesday evening, the police registered the FIR against Shah.

The FIR has been registered at the Manpur police station. Superintendent of Police (Indore Rural).