The Supreme Court on Friday heard arguments regarding Madhya Pradesh Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah's alleged disparaging remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, following her media briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'. The state, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, claimed Shah had intended to praise the officer but could not express himself properly, calling the incident 'unfortunate'.

Chief Justice Surya Kant, heading the Bench, rejected the explanation, stating that political figures are typically articulate when praising and should have apologized immediately. The court noted Shah's apology came only after judicial intervention and dismissed it as part of a 'fake defence', with Senior Advocate Maninder Singh asserting the apology was issued on television the next day.

The Bench referenced its January 19, 2026 order, which flagged earlier uninvestigated incidents involving Shah, and reiterated its directive for the state to decide on granting prior sanction for prosecution—a request pending since August 2025. The court also urged the state to probe other alleged instances attributed to Shah.

The Supreme Court has listed the case for hearing in four weeks and directed the Madhya Pradesh government to file a compliance report by then on all outstanding directives, including the status of prosecution sanction and investigative findings.