Court Orders FIR Against BJP Minister For Calling Colonel Sofiya Qureshi 'Sister Of Terrorists'
BJP leader Vijay Shah has sparked a major controversy with his objectionable comments over Operation Sindoor, calling Col Sofia Qureshi as a sister of terrorists.
Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the police to file an FIR against BJP Minister Vijay Shah for his comment calling Colonel Sofiya Qureshi a "sister of terrorists".
The high court rapped Shah for passing scurrilous remarks and using language of the gutters against Colonel Qureshi, and ordered the police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and hatred.
The court also said the armed forces were perhaps the last institution in this country that reflect integrity, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the controversial statements, the high court's division bench of Justices Atul Shridharan and Anuradha Shukla ordered the police to register a first information report (FIR) against the minister. It directed the police department to register the FIR by 6 pm on Wednesday, and also directed it to inform about it.
The division bench directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to file an FIR against Shah for making a controversial statement for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 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).
BJP leader Vijay Shah has sparked a major controversy with his objectionable comments over Operation Sindoor, calling Col Sofia Qureshi as a sister of terrorists.
"Those people (terrorists) who had wiped out the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters (in the Pahalgam terror attack). We avenged these 'kate-pite' people by sending their sister to destroy them," the minister said while addressing a gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore.
"They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson," he added.
The Congress had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah from the Madhya Pradesh cabinet.
Colonel Qureshi had conducted regular press briefings, sharing details of the 'Operation Sindoor' launched by Indian armed forces to strike terrorists, joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
The Madhya Pradesh, amid uproar from across parties, clarified that his remarks should not be construed otherwise. Shah's remarks drew wide-scale condemnation, with Congress demanding his immediate dismissal from the MP cabinet.
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