MP: Suspense Over Fate of MP Minister Deepens After SC Censure
Court censures Shah but delays arrest; probe report due May 28
Bhopal: Suspense over the fate of Madhya Pradesh tribal welfare minister Vijay Shah has deepened further with the Supreme Court on Monday virtually censuring him for his purported derogatory remarks on Colonel Soifya Qureshi.
Significantly, the apex court has stayed the arrest of the minister against whom serious charges, which are non-bailable, have been made in the FIR, filed against him.
The decision by the Supreme Court to stay his arrest may come as a reprieve for Shah in the wake of growing demand for his resignation from the Mohan Yadav ministry for his controversial “sister of terrorists” remark targeting Col Qureshi, a ruling BJP functionary here said, requesting not to be quoted.
Shah may stave off the pressure to step down at least till the special investigation team (SIT) to be constituted at the direction of the Supreme Court to probe the FIR gives its status report on May 28, he added.
“The case for the minister’s resignation now builds up only on moral ground in the wake of the supreme court making harsh observations against him, but not on legal ground since the apex court has stayed his arrest”, the senior party leader said.
The minister had earlier moved the Supreme Court after the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the police to register a case against him under charges which are non-bailable fearing his arrest, sources close to him said.
He would have been forced to resign from the ministry had he been arrested, the BJP leader said. “But the sword of Damocles still hangs over his head with the SIT probe set to decide his fate”, he added.
