When actor Vidya Balan declined dinner invite from Vijay Shah: MP minister no stranger to controversies

NEW DELHI: This is not Vijay Shah’s first brush with controversy. The Madhya Pradesh minister made headlines in 2020 when, as forest minister, he allegedly invited actor Vidya Balan for dinner during the shoot of the film Sherni in Balaghat. Congress leaders claimed that after Balan declined the invite, Shah’s department withdrew the film’s shooting permissions and blocked the production team’s vehicles from entering forest areas. Shah denied the charge, stating he had in fact refused a lunch or dinner invitation from the filmmakers. Earlier, in 2013, Shah was forced to resign from the state cabinet after making crude comments about the wife of then-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a public event in Jhabua. Now, the BJP leader is once again under fire — this time over remarks on Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. During a public event in Indore on Monday, Shah allegedly called Qureshi the “sister of terrorists”, prompting the Madhya Pradesh high court to take suo motu cognisance. The court ordered police to file an FIR against Shah, describing his comments as “scurrilous”, “dangerous”, and in the “language of the gutters”. A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla said Shah’s words insulted the armed forces — “perhaps the last institution” symbolising discipline, sacrifice and honour. Shah, 62, is an eight-term BJP MLA from Harsud (ST) and has held key portfolios including education and tribal affairs. Known for his grassroots work, he has remained undefeated in elections since 1990.Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta also pointed to a viral video showing BJP MLA Usha Thakur laughing as Shah made his controversial remarks. Under growing pressure, Shah said he respects Colonel Qureshi “more than his sister” and would apologise “ten times” if his comments had hurt anyone. Colonel Qureshi rose to national prominence recently, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh for briefing the media during Operation Sindoor.