SC slams minister for comments on Col Sofiya Qureshi

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his controversial comments on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and said that by virtue of being in a "constitutional position" he should "exercise a degree of restraint".

- Abraham Thomas, Shruti Tomar and Monika Pandey

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, was hearing a plea filed by Shah seeking a stay on an FIR registered by the MP police on Wednesday on directions of the Madhya Pradesh high court.

The top court bench, also comprising Justice AG Masih, took serious exception to Shah's remarks, and said, "What sort of statements you are making... When the country is undergoing such a situation, you being a Minister and a constitutional position holder, should exercise a degree of restraint."

The minister's lawyer, Vibha Dutta Makhija, told the top court that Shah's statement was wrongly quoted by the media and said that he had already apologised for the remarks.