BHOPAL/JABALPUR: Madhya Pradesh high court took suo motu cognisance on Wednesday of state minister Vijay Shah’s remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi , one of the two officers who were the face of the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor , and ordered the state DGP to register an FIR against him for using “gutter language” against a woman Army officer.
HC ordered that the case be listed on top of the cause list Thursday and warned that if the FIR isn’t filed by then, the DGP will face contempt proceedings. Late Wednesday, CM Mohan Yadav said the order would be followed and an FIR was subsequently filed.
File FIR on min for using ‘ gutter language ’ against Qureshi: HC
The FIR was registered at Manpur police station in Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow) under the BNS sections specified by the court: 152, 196 (1) (b) and 197 (a) (c).
A division bench of justices Atul Shreedharan and Anuradha Shukla said: “This court has been compelled to take up this matter suo motu on account of an incident published in various newspapers and digital media networks that has taken place at a public function at village Raikunda in Ambedkar Nagar, at Mhow, on Monday. A sitting minister of MP govt, whose name is Vijay Shah, has used scurrilous language against a senior official of the Indian Army.”
The judges said the armed forces are perhaps the “last institution existing in this country”, reflecting integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage, with which any citizen of this country who values the same can identify themselves with. India’s armed forces have been “targeted by Vijay Shah who has used the language of the gutters”, the court said.
“…the minister made a nauseating remark against Col Qureshi by way of an innuendo which can refer to none other than her alone, as there is no one else who would fit the description of the comment made by the minister,” HC said. “There are newspaper reports and a plethora of digital material on the internet in which the minister’s speech is clear and unequivocal… His comments are disparaging and dangerous, not just to the officer in question but to the armed forces itself.”
Shah’s comment “encourages feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feelings to anyone who is Muslim, which thereby endangers the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India. Thus this court is prima facie satisfied that the first offence made out... is under BNS Sec 152”, the court said.
HC ordered that the case be listed on top of the cause list Thursday and warned that if the FIR isn’t filed by then, the DGP will face contempt proceedings. Late Wednesday, CM Mohan Yadav said the order would be followed and an FIR was subsequently filed.
File FIR on min for using ‘ gutter language ’ against Qureshi: HC
The FIR was registered at Manpur police station in Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow) under the BNS sections specified by the court: 152, 196 (1) (b) and 197 (a) (c).
A division bench of justices Atul Shreedharan and Anuradha Shukla said: “This court has been compelled to take up this matter suo motu on account of an incident published in various newspapers and digital media networks that has taken place at a public function at village Raikunda in Ambedkar Nagar, at Mhow, on Monday. A sitting minister of MP govt, whose name is Vijay Shah, has used scurrilous language against a senior official of the Indian Army.”
The judges said the armed forces are perhaps the “last institution existing in this country”, reflecting integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage, with which any citizen of this country who values the same can identify themselves with. India’s armed forces have been “targeted by Vijay Shah who has used the language of the gutters”, the court said.
“…the minister made a nauseating remark against Col Qureshi by way of an innuendo which can refer to none other than her alone, as there is no one else who would fit the description of the comment made by the minister,” HC said. “There are newspaper reports and a plethora of digital material on the internet in which the minister’s speech is clear and unequivocal… His comments are disparaging and dangerous, not just to the officer in question but to the armed forces itself.”
Shah’s comment “encourages feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feelings to anyone who is Muslim, which thereby endangers the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India. Thus this court is prima facie satisfied that the first offence made out... is under BNS Sec 152”, the court said.
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