The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed that a first information report be registered against state minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Shah for his remarks purportedly targeting Colonel Sofia Qureshi, reported Live Law.

Speaking at an event in Mahu on Tuesday, Shah said that those who had widowed the daughters of India had been taught a lesson by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “by sending the sister from their own community”. The BJP leader repeated the remark immediately after saying it the first time.

While he did not name a person, Opposition parties had alleged that the minister was alluding to Qureshi, one of the official spokespersons during the Ministry of External Affairs’ media briefings relating to Operation Sindoor.

On Wednesday, the High Court bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla observed that Shah’s remarks referred to “none other but” Qureshi. It ordered the director general of police to register an FIR against Shah by Wednesday evening, reported Bar and Bench.

If the officer failed to do so, he would face contempt of court proceedings, warned the bench.

The court also observed that with his remarks, Shah had committed an offence under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita Section 152, which criminalises any act that endangers the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country.

An offence was also made under the Section 192 of the Act, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language or caste, said the bench.

“The armed forces, which reflects integrity, discipline, selflessness and unlimited courage, has been targeted by Vijay Shah,” the bench was quoted as saying by Live Law.

Following the backlash, Shah on Tuesday said that his remark should not be viewed “in a different context”.

“I want to tell people that my speech is not in that context,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. “They are our sisters, and they have taken revenge with great strength along with the armed forces.”

NDTV quoted him as having said: “Sister Sofia has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion. She is more respected than our own sister. I salute her for her service to the nation. We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams.”

Shah said that he was ready to apologise “10 times” if his remark had hurt “society and religion”.

The Congress had earlier urged the prime minister to dismiss Shah for making “extremely insulting, shameful and vulgar remarks about our brave daughter” Qureshi.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the “mentality of BJP-RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] has always been anti-women”.

Also read: Four questions Indians must ask about Operation Sindoor