The MTA Speaks: BJP Min rampant statement on Col Sofia Qureshi is an insult to Army; Full analysis here

MP Min Vijay Shah faces criticism from all corners for his remarks. Watch the complete analysis of this on the exclusive show “The MTA Speaks” by the country’s veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah is being severely slammed in all circles, including political ones, for his controversial statement on Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The High Court first took suo motu cognizance of this statement and reprimanded the minister and ordered to register an FIR against him.

While analyzing this in his exclusive show "The MTA Speaks", country's veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said that the Supreme Court also reprimanded the Minister for the statement and refused to cancel the FIR. However, the next hearing of this case is fixed on Tuesday, 20 May.

Indecent Statement On Colonel Sofia Qureshi

This controversy started on 11 May when Shah made an indecent and objectionable statement against Colonel Sofia Qureshi during a programme organized in Raikunda village of Indore. Vijay Shah said that "Modi ji sent the sister of those who had destroyed the vermilion of our daughters and made them suffer."

Rising Uproar

When the video of this statement went viral after two days on 13 May, Congress and other opposition parties started targeting the BJP and the government. After this, the party summoned Vijay Shah to Bhopal, where he was severely reprimanded by the organization general secretary. Later Shah tried to cool down the matter by apologizing, but by then the matter had escalated a lot.

Intervention Of The High Court

The matter took a new turn on 14 May, when the Madhya Pradesh High Court suo moto took cognizance and ordered to register an FIR against Vijay Shah within 4 hours.

But the High Court made a harsh comment about this FIR, saying that the police had registered it only for the sake of formality. The court clearly said that Shah's statement is an insult to Colonel Sophia Qureshi and it constitutes a serious crime under the Indian Penal Code.

Court Monitored Probe

On 15 May, when the Madhya Pradesh police filed a frivolous FIR against the minister, the High Court erupted again. Justice Atul Shreedharan said that the matter requires a thorough investigation and now the police investigation will be monitored by the court. Now, the BJP leadership is openly trying to defend the minister Vijay Shah.

Stern Comment By Supreme Court

Later, minister Vijay Shah decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court to cancel the FIR. But there too he was disappointed. The Supreme Court rejected his request, saying that ministers are expected to be responsible.

Opposition In Action

Congress also played its role in this controversy, where they appealed to the Governor to immediately dismiss Vijay Shah. At the same time, the Mahila Congress protested outside the minister's residence.

Colonel Sofia Qureshi: A National Icon

Colonel Sofia Qureshi is a high-ranking officer whose family has been serving in the Indian Army for the last three decades. She came into the limelight after an important military operation. The objectionable statement against her has insulted not only her but all women.

BJP's Thin Position

Vijay Shah is an eight-time MLA from Madhya Pradesh and is considered the tribal face in the BJP. His position can cause a crisis for the BJP, especially when even the former Chief Minister Uma Bharti has demanded his dismissal and strict action against him.

This is a challenging time for the Madhya Pradesh government and the BJP. It is not clear whether they will retain Vijay Shah or take action and expel him from the party. However, he will have to face internal political equations as well as public outrage. It will be quite interesting to see as to what happens next in this context.