The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had been part of the daily briefings during India’s military standoff with Pakistan.

“What sort of statements are you making?” Chief Justice B R Gavai remarked sharply, addressing Shah’s counsel during the hearing.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, which scheduled the plea for hearing on Friday.

Shah had approached the apex court seeking a stay on the FIR registered against him, following a Madhya Pradesh High Court order over his remarks allegedly targeting Colonel Qureshi. In its suo motu order, the High Court had described Shah’s comments — which implied that Qureshi was a “sister of terrorists” responsible for the Pahalgam attack — as “cancerous and dangerous.”

At a public event on Monday, Shah had said: “India taught a lesson to those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack using a sister from their own community (unki samaaj ki behen ke zariye).” He reportedly repeated the comment three times, without directly naming Qureshi.

The remarks sparked swift political backlash. Within hours of Shah’s speech going viral, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reprimanded him, offering a pointed reminder on the need for restraint in public discourse. Sources described the subsequent internal meeting as “tense.”

“This isn’t the first time Shah has made such reckless comments. He was clearly told not to repeat this, especially on sensitive matters like Operation Sindoor, in public,” a senior BJP functionary revealed.

Following the controversy, Shah was summoned to the BJP state headquarters, where party general secretary (organisation) Hitanand Sharma personally met him. “He was advised to uphold party discipline and avoid giving the Opposition fresh ammunition against the BJP,” a senior party leader said.