Bhopal, September 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A delegation of Congress MLAs led by Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar met Governor Mangubhai Patel on Tuesday and urged him to reconsider the state Cabinet’s decision against granting prosecution sanction to Cabinet Minister Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks concerning Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during Operation Sindoor.
The meeting came a day after Governor Patel approved the Cabinet’s proposal not to grant sanction for Shah’s prosecution.
Singhar submitted a representation seeking reconsideration of the decision and urging that prosecution sanction be granted at the earliest.
“In a constitutional system of governance, no individual, irrespective of the position he or she holds, can be above the law,” Singhar said in the representation. He argued that where a matter involved compliance with directions of the Supreme Court, the government was expected to take an impartial, transparent and legally sound decision.
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, had on August 25 decided against granting prosecution sanction to Shah. The proposal was subsequently sent to the Governor for approval.
The Governor’s decision came on Monday night, hours after the state government informed the Supreme Court that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case had completed its probe and that the prosecution-sanction proposal was pending before the Governor.
During Monday’s hearing, the Supreme Court sought clarity on the next course of action. The SIT officer appearing before the court said a chargesheet would be filed if sanction was granted, while a closure report would be submitted if sanction was refused.
The case relates to remarks Shah made at a public programme in Mhow in May 2025. His comments were understood to refer to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, had briefed the media during Operation Sindoor.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of Shah’s remarks and directed registration of an FIR against him.
The Supreme Court later granted Shah interim protection from arrest and ordered the formation of a three-member SIT to investigate the matter. The SIT subsequently completed its investigation and sought sanction to prosecute Shah under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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