MP cabinet's special meet today in Indore, all eyes on Minister Vijay Shah

Bhopal, May 20 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh cabinet will hold a special meeting at the historic Rajwada Palace in Indore on Tuesday, which is being convened to commemorate the 300th birth anniversary of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. However, uncertainty looms over whether Minister Vijay Shah will join the meeting.

Vijay Shah, who referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as 'sister of terrorists', has remained elusive and avoided public appearances since the day the MP Police registered a case against him on May 14.

The BJP leader has been booked under Sections 152 (Acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (1)(b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c).

The opposition Congress has decided to oppose Shah's presence in Tuesday's meeting, saying his presence would be an "insult to Devi Ahilyabai".

Hence, all eyes are on Shah to see whether he arrives at the Rajwada Palace to join his cabinet colleagues for the special meeting.

Even if Shah comes to attend the meeting, MP Police won't arrest him as the Supreme Court on Monday ordered a stay on his arrest and directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter.

Complying with SC's direction, DGP Kailash Makwana constituted a three-member SIT late on Monday.

The three members of the SIT are Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sagar Zone Pramod Verma; Deputy Inspector General Kalyan Chakravarty; and Special Armed Forces officer and Superintendent of Police, Dindori, Vahini Singh.

Senior IPS officer Pramod Verma is currently posted as Inspector General (IG), Sagar range, Kalyan Chakravarty is DIG, SAF, Bhopal, and Vahini Singh serves as an SP in Dindori.

MP Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah had on May 12 purportedly termed Colonel Qureshi a "sister of terrorists" during his public speech on the Indian Army operations against Pakistan.

--IANS

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