The Supreme Court of India has declines to entertain Shah’s apology after the backlash over his comment on Sofiya Qureshi as a Pakistani sister.
Observing BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah’s apology, “If I have done something wrong, I apologise”, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Kunwar Vijay Shah reinstated, “If you are insisting that this is your genuine regret, then it is outrightly rejected. Now raise your next argument.”
At a public gathering held at Indore, where Home Minister Amit Shah was also present, Shah said, “Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson.” After his comment was harshly criticised, he apologised to the top court and submitted his apology.
However, the court denounced his apology, stating that the court doesn’t need one.
“We don’t require this apology. We know how to deal with him as per the law. It is not that you have committed contempt of court that you require to tender an apology to us.”
Vijay Shah’s comment on Sofiya Qureshi, who briefed the world on Operation Sindoor, sparked public outcry on his language and intent. The controversy erupted when Shah addressed Sofiya Qureshi as a ‘sister of terrorists’ to take revenge on them. “The entire Nation is ashamed of you,” a top court slammed Shah.
“What is that apology? There is some meaning to this word ‘apology’. Sometimes people in very docile language, they will say a very artificial kind of apology, only to wriggle out of the consequences and sometimes people shed crocodile tear also. So which one your case falls …we would like to know,” the Court castigated him.
The court also warned that he is a public figure and should be mindful of the words he uses. The Court also conveyed that the full video evidence shows that Shah was about to use filthy language, and somehow, he was restrained, or maybe he didn’t find the word.
“You were at the verge of using very abusive language. Then you stop because you couldn’t find any alternate word,” the Court observed.
The Police arrested him after a wave of criticism surged. The High Court took suo motu note of his comments and ordered the registration of a criminal case against him. The Madhya Pradesh High Court censured his remarks, saying they are “language of the gutters.”
On Monday, a top court ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team of India Police Service (IPS) officers to investigate the matter and suggested Shah join the probe. Meanwhile, the court stayed his arrest.
