The political temperature in Madhya Pradesh has surged after the Supreme Court stayed the arrest of state Forest Minister Vijay Shah, who is facing public fury for branding decorated Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi “a sister of terrorists” during a recent public programme on Operation Sindoor.
Acting on an appeal from Shah, India’s apex court on Monday paused his arrest but set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the slur. Earlier, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had taken suo motu cognisance, ordering the state DGP to lodge an FIR within four hours. Although officers at Indore’s Manpur police station complied, the bench rapped them for “diluted” charges, prompting Shah’s challenge in the Supreme Court.
With legal action under way, the opposition Congress has launched statewide demonstrations. Led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, party workers in black attire marched on the Raj Bhavan in Bhopal after symbolically daubing black paint on the minister’s nameplate. A memorandum handed to Governor Mangubhai Patel demands Shah’s dismissal for “insulting every daughter in uniform.”
The BJP is caught between outrage and electoral arithmetic. Shah hails from the influential Gond tribal community—about eight percent of the state’s population and decisive in 84 assembly seats. Removing him could alienate a bloc that helped the party secure a sweep in tribal belts stretching from Betul to Seoni.
The row has also shaken the BJP’s outreach to Pasmanda (socially-backward) Muslims. Anees Mansoori, national president of the Pasmanda Mahaz, warned of nationwide protests: “Shah’s remark wounds not just Colonel Qureshi but the nation’s conscience. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas rings hollow unless he is sacked.”
Even veteran leader and former chief minister Uma Bharti joined the chorus, tweeting that Shah’s words “dishonour India’s daughters” and urging immediate expulsion to salvage the party’s image before courts intervene.
The Supreme Court-directed SIT must report its findings in coming weeks. Until then, Shah remains in office, the Congress keeps the streets charged, and the BJP weighs whether to sacrifice a minister or risk losing both moral and political capital.
