The Indian Supreme Court on Monday cast doubt on Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah’s apology for his remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, questioning whether they were “crocodile tears” intended to circumvent legal proceedings.
According to Indian media, Colonel Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, was one of two officers who briefed the media on the military aspects of Operation Sindoor.
The bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, stated that the court did not require the apology offered by the minister.
“The kind of crass comments you made, completely thoughtlessly… We don’t need this apology,” the court asserted, adding that it appeared to be “crocodile tears” aimed at avoiding legal repercussions.
The apex court admonished the minister, emphasizing that as a public representative, he should use every single word judiciously.
“We saw your videos; you were on the verge of using filthy language,” the bench remarked during the hearing.
The Madhya Pradesh state police were directed by the court to establish a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.
Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah had referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as “sister of terrorists” in a widely circulated video of a public address on social media.
“Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson,” Shah had reportedly stated in an apparent reference to Colonel Qureshi following India’s Operation Sindoor.
It is important to note that Operation Sindoor was conducted by India against Pakistan after the former accused the latter of involvement in the Pahalgam attacks, an accusation that has not been substantiated. Subsequently, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan um Marsoos in retaliation against India after the country was attacked.
