New Delhi: Vijay Shah, a senior Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister, finds himself embroiled in yet another controversy, this time for allegedly making objectionable remarks about a serving army officer, Sofiya Qureshi, who was part of Operation Sindoor .
The latest incident, which prompted a suo motu cognisance from the Madhya Pradesh High Court and a directive to file an FIR, has intensified public scrutiny of Shah’s record of controversial statements.
Shah’s tumultuous political journey has been punctuated by a string of public criticisms. In 2013, while serving as Tribal Affairs Minister, his comments about the then Chief Minister’s wife led to his resignation.
Further controversies arose from remarks made during a public event concerning female attire, and while distributing T-shirts to girls at an event, he said, “Give them two, I don’t know what they wear underneath.” This statement also caused a lot of criticism.
In 2020, from actions that stalled a Bollywood film’s shoot in Madhya Pradesh forests. It’s alleged that a dinner invitation, declined by actress Vidya Balan, escalated into a dispute involving the film crew’s access to forest locations.
Shah was embroiled in another controversy when a video of him went viral. In this, he was seen partying with his friends in the restricted area of Satpura Tiger Reserve. There was talk of non-vegetarian food being served at the party. After the video surfaced, an inquiry was ordered, but later the matter was closed.
Beyond specific incidents, during the Teacher’s Day celebrations in 2018, Shah gave a controversial statement from the stage. He had said, “If you do not clap in honour of the Guru today, then in the next life, you will have to clap from house to house.” The transgender community also expressed displeasure over this statement.
More recently, in 2022, remarks about Rahul Gandhi’s marital status sparked further debate. While addressing a gathering in Khandwa in September 2022, Vijay Shah had also made objectionable remarks about the marriage of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “If a boy turns 50-55 and doesn’t get married, people ask if there is any shortcoming”.
His previous controversies demonstrate a pattern of insensitive or inappropriate statements, and his political career, which spans decades, has been marked by these kinds of remarks, leading to accusations of being a problematic and insensitive public figure. Although he belongs to the royal family of Makadi and is a senior tribal leader within the BJP, his eight-term tenure as an MLA and past cabinet positions underscore the pervasive impact of these controversies on his public standing and political career.
