Supreme Court To Minister Vijay Shah: Should Have Apologized Immediately For Col. Sofiya Qureshi Remarks

The Supreme Court has told BJP leader Vijay Shah that he should have apologized immediately over his remarks referring to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists”.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions filed by Shah challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s suo motu order directing registration of an FIR against him.

"Politicians are very articulate, they know how to praise somebody," CJI Surya Kant said as Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the bench that in his personal view, Shah wanted to praise the lady and he had tendered his apology also immediately.

SG Mehta added that what Shah had said was unfortunate. To this, the CJI said, "It was most unfortunate, then he has no repentance."

The bench went on to direct the Madhya Pradesh government to comply with its previous order and take a decision on granting sanction for prosecution.

By an order dated May 19, the Apex Court had directed the State of Madhya Pradesh to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of senior officers and had passed a subsequent order in the matter. The Director General of Police, the Court noted, had constituted the SIT and placed a sealed report before the court, which was opened in open court.

On the last hearing when Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Vijay Shah, had submitted that his client had placed an apology on record and was fully cooperating with the inquiry, the submission, drew a sharp response from the bench. “It is too late to tender any apology,” the CJI had remarked, adding that the court had earlier commented on the nature of the apology submitted by the petitioner.

Notably, in July 2025, the Court. had rapped Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for issuing an online apology for his comments made on Col. Sofia Qureshi. "Where is the apology?", the Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi had asked after the minister's counsel for not issuing a public apology for his alleged defamatory remarks. The bench went on to observe that the minister was testing its patience as his conduct was making the court doubt his intentions and bonafides.

Shah had approached the Supreme Court after the Jabalpur Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 14, 2025 took suo motu cognisance of Shah’s comments; made during a public event in Mhow, where he referred to Col. Qureshi in communal and sexist terms, implying she was sent as “revenge” against terrorists.

The High Court described the remarks as "dangerous," "disparaging," and using "language of the gutters," observing they amounted to prima facie offences under stringent criminal provisions. It further said such statements stigmatize the Muslim community and threaten constitutional values of unity and fraternity. Case Title: Kunwar Vijay Shah v. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh

Case Title: Kunwar Vijay Shah vs. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh

Bench: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi

Hearing Date: May 8, 2026