MP minister Shah 'scum' for comments on Col Qureshi, should be arrested: Owaisi

Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday termed Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah "scum" and "filth" for his comments on Col Sofiya Qureshi, saying the BJP government should sack and arrest him to set an example.

In an interview to PTI Videos, Owaisi described Qureshi as India’s "daughter and sister" and said the minister's attitude indicates hatred towards a particular community. "The BJP government should remove him from the cabinet. An FIR has been registered against him after the high court's order. He should be arrested and sent to jail," Owaisi said.

This will, he added, set a great example not only in the country but in the world -- that no one can talk such “nonsense” and that too against such a brave officer. "What can you call such people? After seeing dirt you will call it dirty...It is outright filth, scum… outright hatred," Owaisi said.

The AIMIM chief said Shah, despite being a responsible person and a state minister, insinuated that Qureshi is the sister of Pakistanis.

"How come she is their sister? She is the country's daughter...country's sister. She is part of our armed forces. And even that you are seeing through the lens of religion and linking (her) with the terrorists.

"I feel what the minister has said indicates his hatred towards a community. He needs to be made to understand that he should have hatred towards terrorism coming from Pakistan. If you think that it is a Muslim name and I will have hatred then there is no medicine in the world to treat you," Owaisi said.

Shah was previously found to have made offensive comments on former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s wife. "And yet he has not been removed. Why? Because he belongs to one caste. And you see vote there. It is up to the BJP to decide whether it will see the country or politics," Owaisi said.

On the orders of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, police have booked Shah for the remarks on Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during media briefings on Operation Sindoor. During a public event in Indore district on Monday, Shah tried to present Col Qureshi as the “sister of terrorists”, prompting the high court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.

The division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla said the remarks were “disparaging” to the armed forces, which is “perhaps the last institution in the country” that reflects integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage.