Key Points

"I, Vijay Shah, am not only ashamed and saddened by my recent statement which has hurt the sentiments of every community, but I also apologise from the bottom of my heart. Our country's sister Sofia Qureshi ji has worked rising above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty," Shah said in a video message posted on Wednesday on X.

"Following the order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the Chief Minister has given instructions to take action regarding the statement of Minister Vijay Shah," the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said early Thursday morning on X.

The Minister also added that he respects the Armed forces and mentioned Colonel Sofiya as "sister".

"Although some inappropriate words came out in my recent statement, my intentions were always clear. I apologise to everyone, and especially to my sister, Sofiya Qureshi," the Minister said.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Indian Army officer, had conducted press briefings alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, providing updates on Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

A controversy erupted after Minister Vijay Shah made a controversial statement during a public event in a rural area in Indore district on Monday without taking Qureshi's name.

"Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson," Shah said in an apparent reference to Colonel Qureshi, prompting outrage.

The Minister's second apology came after the Madhya Pradesh High Court took serious note of Shah's comments against the officer and directed the Madhya Pradesh Police to register an FIR against him.

Earlier this week, Vijay Shah was reprimanded on Tuesday by the BJP state organisational secretary Hitanand Sharma over the controversy.

At the time, the Minister had issued an apology saying: "I belong to a family of martyrs and armymen. I was emotional due to the Pahalgam incident. I am apologising if my words hurt someone and any community. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is a pride of the nation and she is like my sister," he said.

- IANS