Remarks targeting Col Qureshi: SC questions MP minister, will hear his plea on Friday
New Delhi (PTI): 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's 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 of India B R Gavai told Shah. The bench, also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, will 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.
"Persons holding such a constitutional office are expected to exercise a degree of restraint," the bench observed.
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.
Makhija said the petitioner, the state's tribal affairs minister, has expressed remorse.
"It was a statement which was misunderstood as well. That I can justify to your lordships," she said. "He (Shah) never meant what is being made out by the media," she added.
"Now the FIR is already registered," the bench said.
The senior counsel said the petitioner was seeking a stay on the FIR because he was not heard by the high court.
"I (Shah) am just praying that till I am heard, no action be taken," Makhija said.
The bench asked why the petitioner had not moved the high court seeking relief.
"Merely because somebody is a minister, should we entertain it," the bench asked, adding, "Go and apply before the high court."
When Makhija urged the apex court to see the high court's order, the bench said, "We will have it tomorrow."
In the meanwhile, the senior counsel said, no further action be taken against Shah.
She said the matter was listed for hearing before the high court today.
"Nothing is likely to happen in 24 hours," the bench said, adding that the petitioner can inform the high court that the matter is listed for hearing in the apex court on Friday.
Shah hit the headlines after a video, which was distributed widely, showed him allegedly making objectionable remarks against Col Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during media briefings on Operation Sindoor last week.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court castigated Shah for passing "scurrilous" remarks and using "language of the gutters" against Col Qureshi, and ordered the police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and hatred.
"On the basis of what has been observed herein above, this court directs the Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh to register forthwith an FIR against minister Vijay Shah for offences under sections 152, 196(1)(b) and 197(1)(c) of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita)," the high court said.
After drawing severe condemnation, the MP minister said he is ready to apologise 10 times if anyone is hurt by his statement and that he respects Col Qureshi more than his sister.
An FIR was registered against Shah in Indore district on Wednesday night following the high court's order, an official said.
The FIR was registered under sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (1)(b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups) of the BNS.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
