New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed MP Minister Vijay Shah for his derogatory remarks with the aim of Colonel Sophia Qureshi, who informed the media along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh on ‘Operation Sindoor’.When Shah’s lawyer Vibha D Makhija sought an immediate hearing of his petition, in which the registration of the FIR against the minister was directed by the High Court’s order, the Chief Justice of India, Bra Gawai and Justice AG Masih asked if such a comment holds a constitutional post organized by the petitioner.“When the country is undergoing a situation, he (Shah) should have been more careful in his speech. Individuals with constitutional office are expected to follow certain standards and practice restraint in their public speeches,” the bench said.When Makhija demanded the stop of HC order directing the registration of the FIR against Shah, the bench asked, “Why should they not contact HC under Article 226 of the Constitution? Why should he not contact HC? Just because there is a minister, should we entertain his petition under Article 32?”With the persuasion, the bench on Monday agreed to list the petition for the hearing, but refused to stay the HC order, saying that there would be nothing between today and Monday. Makhija said that the minister’s comment was more by the media and Shah has publicly apologized for the comments. In a video message on X, Shah said that he was “not only embarrassed by my statement, who hurt the feelings of every community, but I also apologize to the bottom of my heart. Our country’s sister Sophia Qureshi ji has worked above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty”.
