VIJAY Shah, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh, currently serving as the cabinet minister for tribal affairs, is once again making headlines. And rightly so – because infamy, after all, is also a form of being in limelight. If that's the measure, then Vijay Shah has certainly earned his share of fame.

Nearly a decade ago, while serving as a minister, he made an obscene remark about the wife of then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan – and shockingly, from a public stage in his very presence. The incident caused a public uproar. Shah later claimed that he had apologised “ten times” for the remark – a line he continues to repeat to this day. Ultimately, he was forced to resign. But within just four months, he was re-inducted as a minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s cabinet.

In 2020, as forest minister, he stirred controversy again during the filming of Sherni in Balaghat. When actor Vidya Balan declined his invitation to dinner, Shah reportedly halted the film’s shoot – another petty misuse of power.

The list of incidents doesn’t stop there.

On another occasion, as the chief guest at a school in Ratlam where T-shirts were being distributed to girl students, he made a deeply inappropriate comment: “Give them two T-shirts; who knows what they wear underneath.” Even the schoolgirls were not spared from vulgarity by Shah.

In 2018, while presiding over a Teachers’ Day event meant to honour educators, Shah shocked the audience again. Instead of words of encouragement or wisdom, he told the gathering, “If you don’t clap today, you’ll have to go door to door clapping in your next birth.” The implied insult to the transgender community, as well as to teachers, was both crude and unacceptable.

Then in 2022, Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with yet another distasteful remark. Referring to Gandhi’s unmarried status, he questioned his masculinity and suggested a “physical disability” as the reason for not marrying.

Now, Shah has again crossed the line – this time with his remarks about Colonel Sophia Qureshi. Ostensibly praising her bravery, he repeatedly used the word “naked” in his speech in an obscene manner. His comment suggested that Colonel Qureshi had entered Pakistan and stripped the terrorists “naked.” The sexualised undertone was unmistakable. While Shah made these remarks, BJP MLA and former minister Usha Thakur was seen laughing on stage.

Each of these incidents reflects a disturbing pattern – of sexism, bigotry, and abuse of power. Vijay Shah’s repeated offensives are not isolated lapses but part of a long, shameful record that continues to go unchecked.

The comment made about the army officer deserves unequivocal condemnation. But in doing so, we must not lose sight of the deeper, Manuvadi and anti-women character of the BJP. Vijay Shah is not an exception – he represents the true face of the BJP. That is why, apart from Uma Bharti, no woman leader from the BJP has openly criticised him. In fact, several women ministers in  Mohan Yadav’s cabinet, including MLA Usha Thakur, have defended Shah, claiming there was nothing objectionable in his remarks. The BJP state president even justified Shah’s absence from a cabinet meeting, by saying that sometimes absence occurs due to personal reasons.

Uma Bharti’s protest, too, must be understood in context. Her outrage stems not from solidarity with Colonel Sofia Qureshi as a woman, but from her own brand of hyper-nationalism, in which the army is sacrosanct. Her objection lies with the insult to the army – not to Sofia Qureshi. Let us also remember that Uma Bharti was among the first to defend convicted rapist Asaram Bapu.

What is the condition of women within the Madhya Pradesh BJP? In Satna, a woman leader accused the district BJP president of sending obscene messages and harassing her. She even stated she feared entering the party office because of him. In Singrauli, an obscene video of the district BJP president dancing with bar dancers went viral.

This culture is not incidental. As soon as Mohan Yadav became chief minister, two videos of him surfaced – one in which he hurled verbal abuse involving the mothers and sisters of a person who was in front of him, and another in which he challenged Congress workers by threatening to make them drink bull’s milk (not cow’s milk) – a crude and aggressive jibe. This is the "sanskriti" of the BJP, inherited from its so-called cultural organisation, which it calls its parent body.

These are not isolated incidents. The frenzy of Hindutva, its brand of nationalism, and the BJP’s politics are deeply intertwined with the ideology of Manuvad. And Manuvad does not only target minorities – it targets women, dalits, and shudras too. Everyone, except those at the top of the caste hierarchy, is a target. So if Vijay Shah hasn’t been asked to resign, it’s not an oversight – it’s by design. Within the BJP's cultural framework, Shah has done nothing wrong.

No BJP leader, not even the prime minister, has condemned Vijay Shah’s statements. In Pragya Thakur’s case, at least the prime minister had said he would never forgive her "from the heart." But in Shah’s case, the national leadership – including the prime minister – has left it to the state unit. The chief minister and the BJP state president have found nothing objectionable in his conduct. The CM has only stated that any action will be taken as per the High Court’s order.

It is another matter that the BJP-led state government has not even complied with the High Court’s orders. The High Court, taking suo motu cognizance, not only referred to the minister as gutter chaap (filthy) but also stated that he is a threat not just to the armed forces but to national unity and communal harmony. The court directed that an FIR be filed against him under charges of sedition – and that it must be registered within four hours.

The judge seemed aware of the potential consequences of his bold directive. He remarked pointedly, “I may not be here tomorrow,” and insisted that if the FIR was not filed within the stipulated time, a contempt case would be initiated against the DGP. Even then, the FIR was registered only after 11 p.m.

When the court reviewed the FIR the next morning, it was incensed. The FIR omitted any mention of the actual incident, and the accused’s name was repeatedly prefixed with the honorific “Shri.” The court sharply criticised this, stating that the FIR had been drafted with the clear intention of shielding the accused and defying judicial instructions.

The Supreme Court, too, has reprimanded Vijay Shah, asserting that someone holding public office must be aware of the weight of their words. The Court rejected Shah’s apology, describing it as a mere excuse and “crocodile tears.” A Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising three IPS officers including a woman officer, has been formed and asked to submit a report by May 28.

In a democracy, public accountability and shame are essential. But the BJP and the Sangh Parivar have repeatedly shown their disregard for the Constitution and for India’s democratic and secular foundations. This is evident not only in Vijay Shah’s actions but also in the conduct of the deputy chief minister, Jagdish Devda. Speaking at a gathering held to celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor, Devda declared that “the whole country bows before Modi ji.” He went further, repeating that “the entire country and the armed forces bow before Modi ji.”

In a democracy, it is the people before whom everyone bows – not a single individual, not even the prime minister. Such declarations are reminiscent of feudalism, where citizens were seen as subjects beneath the king’s feet. That such a statement came from a constitutional office bearer is deeply disturbing.

While the country is outraged by the comments of Vijay Shah and Jagdish Devda, there has been no response from the President of India – the constitutional head of the armed forces. One would expect at least a symbolic censure in the face of such brazenly offensive remarks about an army officer, Colonel Sofia Qureshi. BJP leaders, too, have remained silent or indifferent, refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

Another example of this culture is BJP MLA Narendra Prajapati. Speaking at a public meeting after Operation Sindoor, he claimed that “if the United Nations had not given the order, Modi ji would have destroyed Pakistan.” When questioned by the media, Prajapati clarified that he had meant to say the United States, but “United Nations” had come out by mistake. Ironically, both Modi and the central government have repeatedly denied any involvement of the USA or foreign powers – yet their own MLA publicly implies that the war effort was halted under American pressure.

The most dangerous aspect of this entire episode is that the BJP government is actively advancing the RSS's agenda – but doing so by putting forward individuals from communities that have historically been victims of Manuvad. Vijay Shah is a tribal. Deputy chief minister Jagdish Devda and MLA Narendra Prajapati belong to the dalit community. In this case, a woman is being targeted, and BJP women leaders are complicit through their silence. Those who have historically faced discrimination are now being positioned as enablers – even perpetrators – of this regressive ideology. The victims are being turned into villains.

PROTEST ACTIONS
The Left parties have demanded the dismissal of minister Vijay Shah, who made derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, and deputy chief minister Jagdish Devda, who made anti-democratic and objectionable comments regarding the army. Both CPI (M) and CPI have held a series of protests across Madhya Pradesh.

In Gwalior, CPI (M) and CPI held a protest on May 15.

In Indore, CPI (M) and CPI held a protest on May 16.

On May 17 in Jabalpur, CPI (M) and CPI held a protest.

On May 19 in Bhopal, CPI (M) and CPI held a protest and a memorandum was submitted to the governor.

In Seoni, a protest was held by the CPI (M) demanding the dismissal of the minister.

These protest actions are ongoing and gaining momentum.