Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Singhar and others being detained by police personnel during their sit-in demonstration at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal on May 16, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Congress on Friday (May 16, 2025) protested outside the Raj Bhavan in Bhopal demanding the dismissal of Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah over his recent inflammatory remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi even as top BJP leaders maintained that the party will follow court orders in the matter.

A delegation of more than 15 Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, called on Governor Mangubhai Patel to give him a memorandum and press for their demands. Later, the MLAs in black attires staged a demonstration outside the Governor’s House.

LoP in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and Congress leader Umang Singhar with party MLAs stages a demonstration after submitting a memorandum against State minister Vijay Shah over his objectionable remarks aimed at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, in Bhopal on May 16, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

An FIR was filed against Mr. Shah late on May 14 for allegedly calling Colonel Qureshi “sister of the terrorists” of Pahalgam attack, after the Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo moto cognizance of the matter. The court set a four-hour deadline and specified the sections under which the Tribal Affairs Minister was to be booked. However, the next day, the High Court expressed its dissatisfaction over the contents of the FIR. It said the report did not mention Mr. Shah’s May 12 speech which was an evidence, and added that it would monitor the investigation.

Meanwhile, State Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda sparked another controversy on Friday (May 16, 2025) with his statements in Jabalpur that the “entire country, the Army and all the personnel bowed down at the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” in the wake of Operation Sindoor, giving more fodder to the attacking Opposition.

Congress MLAs detained

The Congress MLAs were also detained briefly, and a scuffle broke out between them and the police personnel who tried to remove them from the Raj Bhavan.

“BJP is not with the army, nor is it with the Constitution…It is only there with its chair! History is a witness that whenever the government has become dictatorial, the public has made it bite the dust,” Mr. Singhar said on X after his detention.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari asked why the BJP has not taken any action against its two leaders despite the High Court terming Mr. Shah’s remarks “language of gutters” and Supreme Court calling them “shameful”.

“Yet, why no strict action has been taken against the two Ministers? Is the BJP government protecting such seditious statements?” Mr. Patwari asked. 

Protest a drama: Mohan Yadav

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav termed the Congress’s protest a “drama” and accused the Opposition party of “disrespecting” the judiciary.

“No matter how much drama the Congress does, the party also knows that the matter is in the court and no one is above the court. There was a case against the Leader of Opposition (Mr. Singhar) too. Will the Congress demand his resignation? Wherever there is an opportunity to insult the court, the Congress does not miss it,” Mr. Yadav said.

The Chief Minister also raked up former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying that she imposed Emergency after the Allahabad High Court pronounced a verdict against her.

“The Congress also changed the law on Triple Talaq given by the Supreme Court. We respect the order of the court, we follow whatever order the court gives,” he said, adding that the government will honour the court’s decision in Mr. Shah’s case.

Meanwhile, the BJP is yet to initiate a formal disciplinary action against Mr. Shah.