Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, currently embroiled in a major row over derogatory remarks against Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, is no stranger to controversy. A veteran BJP leader and eight-time MLA from Harsud (ST), Shah has frequently made headlines for the wrong reasons — from a dinner invite to a Bollywood star to crude public comments about a chief minister’s wife.
The Sherni incident: Vidya Balan and the revoked shoot
Back in 2020, during the shoot of Vidya Balan’s film Sherni in Balaghat, Shah — then forest minister — allegedly invited the actor to dinner. When she reportedly declined, Congress leaders claimed Shah retaliated by revoking the film crew’s forest permissions and blocking their vehicles. Shah, however, denied any wrongdoing and countered that he himself had refused a lunch invite from the filmmakers, not the other way around.
2013 resignation over sexist remarks
In 2013, Shah was forced to resign from the Madhya Pradesh cabinet after he made lewd comments about the wife of then CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a public gathering in Jhabua. The backlash from within his own party and the opposition was swift, and Shah stepped down under pressure.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi row and court intervention
Now, Shah finds himself under fire yet again — this time for allegedly calling Colonel Sofiya Qureshi the “sister of terrorists” during a public event in Indore. The remark, which triggered widespread outrage, prompted the Madhya Pradesh high court to take suo motu cognisance. A division bench, comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla, ordered an FIR against Shah, terming his words “scurrilous”, “dangerous”, and “in the language of the gutters”.
The court emphasised that Shah’s comments insulted the armed forces — “perhaps the last institution that commands universal respect” for its values of discipline, sacrifice, and honour.
Political fallout and public apology
Facing mounting criticism, Shah attempted damage control, saying he “respects Colonel Qureshi more than his own sister” and would apologise “ten times” if his words had caused any pain. A video of BJP MLA Usha Thakur seen laughing during Shah’s speech has further stoked controversy. Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta condemned both leaders, accusing them of mocking national service.
Colonel Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, had recently gained national attention for representing the armed forces in press briefings during the high-profile Operation Sindoor.
