New Delhi, May 15 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday came down heavily on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut over his remarks targeting the Shah community, accusing him of making casteist and hateful statements.
The controversy erupted after Raut, while attacking Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah over alleged comments against Col Sofiya Qureshi, said, “None of the Shahs is a patriot... I am repeatedly saying Shah. They are all people who attack from behind.” Raut also demanded Shah's removal from the state cabinet and called for the imposition of President’s Rule in Madhya Pradesh.
“This Vijay Shah will indeed talk in such a manner as he is a Shah,” Raut said while addressing reporters in Mumbai.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari reacted strongly, labelling Raut’s statements as “vile and casteist,” and accused him of insulting an entire community. “This is not political criticism, this is hatred against a specific surname and community,” Bhandari said, while sharing a video of Raut’s comments on social media.
The row began after Vijay Shah was seen in a video allegedly making objectionable remarks about Col Qureshi, who, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, had gained national attention for participating in media briefings on Operation Sindoor.
Following the uproar, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed police to register a case against Shah under charges related to promoting enmity and hatred. An FIR was subsequently filed in Indore on Wednesday night, prompting Shah to move the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the proceedings.
