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Vijay Shah issues fourth apology before SC hearing over remarks on Col Qureshi
Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah apologises for fourth time over objectionable remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi ahead of Supreme Court hearing
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh tribal affairs minister Vijay Shah released a video on social media on Saturday, apologising for making objectionable remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi two days ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the prosecution against him.
This is the fourth time he has issued an apology to Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and foreign secretary Vikram Misri, had briefed the media following Operation Sindoor on May 12, 2026 — India’s retaliation against Pakistan for the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike.
The Supreme Court on January 18 directed the Madhya Pradesh government to take a decision within two weeks on granting sanction for prosecution in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Shah. The hearing will take place on February 9.
Shah, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), communalised Qureshi’s presence at the briefings and triggered the controversy on May 12 while addressing a programme in Indore. “Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson. The country’s honour and respect and the marital bliss of our sisters can be avenged by sending the sisters of your community to Pakistan,” he had said.His comments had sparked public outrage.
Shah released the video a day on Saturday after holding a meeting with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders at the party’s state office in Bhopal.
“I have said this many times before, I had no intention of insulting any woman officer, the Indian Army, or any section of society. Those words were undoubtedly not in line with my feelings. Those words were uttered in the enthusiasm, excitement, and passion of patriotism. The sentiment behind the mistake should be considered. You all know that I had no malicious intent,” Shah said in the video.
“I have sincerely apologised. I have done so many times. I am doing it again today. It is extremely painful for me that such a controversy arose from my small mistake. I am confident that my feelings will be seen in the right context. I have always had and will continue to have respect for the Indian Army,” he added.
“In public life, the decorum and sensitivity of such words are extremely important. I have introspected this incident. I have learned a lesson. I accept responsibility. I will control my speech in the future. Such a mistake will not happen again. Once again, I sincerely apologise to all the citizens, the Indian Army, and everyone involved in this matter,” the minister said.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court took serious note of Shah’s objectionable comments on Colonel Qureshi. An FIR was registered against him under the directives of the high court, while the apex court formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter.
On January 18, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Dipankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi directed the state government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of senior officers. The SIT submitted its report to the state government seeking sanction, which is mandatory for the court to take cognisance of offences under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The court was informed that the state government had not taken any decision on the request for sanction, citing the pendency of the matter before the Supreme Court.
However, the CJI had already said that it was too late to tender any apology after Shah’s counsel informed the court about the previous three apologies.
