BHOPAL: As the Supreme Court is set to hear Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Vijay Shah’s plea challenging the May 14 MP High Court order on Monday, which led to a FIR being registered against him for the veiled “sister of terrorists” remark against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the ruling BJP circles in the state are keeping a keen eye on the top court’s hearing’s outcome as it may well decide his ministerial fate.
Amid the mounting demand for the tribal affairs minister’s dismissal from the government by the opposition parties, the ruling party is keenly eyeing the Monday’s apex court hearing outcome, particularly as 62-year-old Shah’s inability to get relief from the SC, might make his political case weak before the party leadership.
“Immediately after the HC ordered on May 14 to register a case against Shah, followed by the lodging of the case at Indore’s Manpur police station, efforts were made by the state party leadership to convince him to step down. He, however, was defiant saying that though his statements made at the May 12 event in Mhow (Indore) were misinterpreted and presented in a wrong manner, still he had apologized multiple times for it. He also contended that he was challenging the MP HC order in the SC, owing to which he won’t step down,” a senior state BJP organization’s functionary told TNIE on Sunday.
“We’re keenly eyeing what happens in SC on Monday, even the CM has made it clear that every court order will be complied with in totality, which makes things clear for politically wise people,” the BJP leader added.
However, there are sources within the state BJP who also claim that the SC verdict may not make much difference, until it makes some major observations/comments about Shah’s statement.
“If anything had to happen, it would have happened on the day when Shah’s video went viral and the next day when the FIR was lodged on the HC’s order. Much water has flown under the bridge since then and many of us in the party don’t think anything big is going to happen with Shah politically in the next few days. As per information with us, he has also sought guarantee of his political future, even if has to quit the cabinet.”
According to ruling party sources in Bhopal, the controversial remarks on Operation Sindoor by other politicians of the party, including deputy CM Jagdish Devda, ex-union minister and seventh-time MP Faggan Singh Kulaste (who has often been considered among the contenders for next state BJP chief’s post) and first-time MLA Narendra Prajapati, seems to have somewhat diverted public attention from the eighth time tribal MLA Shah.
Further, gradually some BJP leaders, like first-time minister Pratima Bagri and ex-minister and Mhow MLA Usha Thakur (who was seated next to Shah, when he made the controversial remark on May 12) have directly or indirectly defended him, saying his words were misinterpreted and he didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.
While the BJP leadership is keen eyed of Monday’s SC hearing of Shah’s plea, ground level workers of the party as well as its parent outfit RSS, say they are finding it hard to reply to people, particularly to females about Shah and no action yet being initiated against him.
“The most common question being asked by people particularly by those who are long time RSS-BJP supporters is who is bigger for us former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s wife (Shah was reportedly dropped from the cabinet in 2013 for his offensive remarks about her and some women BJP leaders) or Colonel Sofia Qureshi, one of the two female faces of the Armed Forces, who briefed the nation about Operation Sindoor. It’s becoming very hard to answer them,” said Suresh Sen, an RSS worker in Bhopal’s Awadhpuri area.
A young BJP worker in Bhopal Madhya assembly segment, Pankaj Gupta, however, added a word of caution. “Look what happened with Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur, the PM had clearly made it clear some years back that he won’t forgive her for continued controversial remarks particularly on Gandhi and Godse. Finally, it happened as she wasn’t considered for the BJP ticket in the 2024 LS elections, so sooner or later, Vijay Shah too will also have to pay politically for his remark.”
