Madhya Pradesh (National Times): The Madhya Pradesh government has set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe controversial comments made by state Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The formation of the SIT follows a directive from the Supreme Court, which took strong exception to Shah’s remarks targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. Shah had reportedly referred to Colonel Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists,” a statement the court condemned as deeply offensive.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh ordered that the SIT be composed of three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, who are currently serving in the state but are originally from outside Madhya Pradesh. The bench also mandated that one of the members must be a woman.
The Supreme Court instructed the Director General of Police to form the SIT by May 20. The justices described Shah’s comments as “filthy, crass, and shameful,” rejecting his public apology as insincere. Justice Surya Kant said, “The nation is ashamed of you. Redemption is yours to seek.”
While the court stayed Shah’s arrest for now, it ordered him to fully cooperate with the investigation. The bench clarified that although it would not directly oversee the probe, it would maintain close oversight. The SIT has been asked to file a status report, and the matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 28.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Umang Singhar praised the intervention. “I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision. It is a step taken in honor of the armed forces. Unfortunately, the BJP governments at both the state and central levels remained inactive. The court responded, but they did not. The Supreme Court said the minister’s remark is beyond an apology, yet the BJP still considers an apology sufficient, which is why the state government has not demanded his resignation,” Singhar stated.
