The Indian Supreme Court on Monday questioned Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah’s apology for his remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, asking if they were “crocodile tears” to wriggle out of legal proceedings.

Along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Colonel Qureshi was one of the two officers, who briefed the media about the military aspects of Operation Sindoor, reported Indian media.

The court didn’t need the apology given by the minister, said the bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh.

“The kind of crass comments you made, completely thoughtlessly… We don’t need this apology,” the court said, adding that it seemed like “crocodile tears” to avoid legal proceedings.

The minister was told by the apex court that, being a public representative, he should use every single word sensibly.

“We saw your videos; you were on the verge of using filthy language,” the bench remarked during the hearing.

The Madhya Pradesh state police was directed by the court to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the episode. 

Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah had referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as “sister of terrorists” in a video of a public address that went viral on social media.

“Those who widowed our daughters, we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson,” Shah had said in an apparent reference to Colonel Qureshi after India’s Operation Sindoor.

It is important to note that Operation Sindoor was carried out by India against Pakistan after the former accused the latter of involvement in Pahalgam attacks, which has not been proved. Pakistan, then in retaliation launched operation Bunyan um Marsoos against India after it attacked the country.