NEW DELHI, May 15: Every word uttered by a minister has to be with a sense of responsibility at a time the country is undergoing “such a situation”, the Supreme Court said on Thursday as it reprimanded Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah who is facing an FIR for his remarks targeting Col Sofiya Qureshi.
“What sort of statements are you making? You are a responsible minister of the government,” Chief Justice B R Gavai told Shah’s counsel.
The bench said the apex court would on Friday hear Shah’s plea challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s May 14 order directing an FIR against him for the comments. “When this country is undergoing such a situation, every sentence or word uttered by a responsible minister has to be with a sense of responsibility,” the CJI told Shah’s counsel.
The bench went on, “Persons holding such a constitutional office are expected to exercise a degree of restraint.”
Senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija, appearing for Shah, mentioned the matter for urgent listing and said the high court had taken suo motu cognisance and asked for registration of an FIR.
Earlier in the day, Makhija said the petitioner, the state’s tribal affairs minister, had expressed remorse.
“It was a statement which was misunderstood as well. That I can justify to your lordships,” she said. (PTI)
