Revoked shooting permissions for Malayali actress's film after she declined dinner invitation; Vijay Shah's history of controversial actions

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah has landed in hot water after allegedly making derogatory remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who played a key role in briefing the world on Operation Sindoor. Shah is accused of referring to Colonel Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists” during a recent public event in Indore, prompting widespread condemnation and a show-cause notice from the BJP on Wednesday.

The controversy has reignited scrutiny of Shah’s past conduct, with national media highlighting his history of contentious incidents.

In 2020, while holding the Forest Minister portfolio, Shah reportedly invited actress Vidya Balan to a dinner during the shooting of her film Sherni in Balaghat. After Balan declined the invitation, Shah’s office allegedly revoked filming permissions and restricted access for the crew’s vehicles in the forest area. Shah, however, denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

Back in 2013, Shah was forced to resign from the state cabinet after he made inappropriate comments about the wife of then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a public event in Jhabua.

The latest row stems from Shah’s remarks during the Indore event, where he said, "Modi ji is striving for society. Those who widowed our daughters [in Pahalgam], we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson." Critics allege this was a veiled insult aimed at Colonel Qureshi, who led a unit during Operation Sindoor.

Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh unit president Jitu Patwari shared a video clip of the speech on social media, demanding clarity on whether the BJP endorses such views. The Congress further claimed the comments were an insult to the Indian Armed Forces. In response to the backlash, Shah issued a clarification, stating his remarks were misinterpreted and emphasising that “they are our sisters too.”