Why Are Congress MLAs Opposing MP Minister Vijay Shah in the Assembly?

Bhopal, July 29 (NationPress) Senior BJP Minister Vijay Shah may have successfully retained his ministerial position amid widespread backlash for his contentious remarks regarding Colonel Sofia Qureshi, but his troubles in Madhya Pradesh appear far from over.

On Tuesday, during the second day of the Monsoon session of the state Assembly, Shah, who serves as the Tribal Welfare Minister, encountered a significant challenge.

Congress members voiced strong opposition to his presence in the House. Shah, expected to nominate members for committees focusing on the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), faced immediate backlash from Congress MLAs as he attempted to proceed.

Despite efforts from senior BJP Ministers to persuade the Congress legislators, the objection led by LoP Umang Singhar resulted in a firm decision to boycott Shah. Consequently, Shah was forced to remain seated, preventing the proposal from being introduced.

Notably, both Vijay Shah and Congress MLA Umang Singhar share a background in the Tribal community.

Shah's predicament followed closely after the Supreme Court reprimanded him for issuing an 'online' public apology concerning his controversial comments against Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who played a critical role in Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

“You are testing our patience! Where is his public apology? That shows his intentions. That makes us more suspicious of his bona fides,” remarked a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi during Monday's hearing.

The Justice Surya Kant-led bench was addressing a special leave petition (SLP) filed by Shah, challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court order, which mandated the registration of an FIR against him for his inappropriate remarks.

During the hearing, concerns were raised about the SIT's investigation status, as it had recorded Shah’s statement but failed to gather testimonies from those affected by his comments. The SIT indicated that they expect to finalize their report by August 13, having already recorded multiple witness statements and reviewed relevant video footage.

As a result of the SIT’s update, the Supreme Court scheduled another hearing for August 18, directing a SIT member to present a status report at that time. Following a High Court order from May 14, which mandated the state Director General of Police to file an FIR against Shah, he approached the Supreme Court in an attempt to contest the FIR filed under Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined to consider a plea from Congress leader Jaya Thakur, who sought Shah’s removal from his ministerial role, arguing that he had violated his constitutional oath under Article 164(3).