What happened: Congress alleges refusal of sanction to prosecute a minister
Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders alleged that the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet refused permission to prosecute Minister Vijay Shah for alleged derogatory remarks against Army Colonel Sona Qureshi made in May 2026, days after Operation Sindoor.
Madhya Pradesh Congress state chief Jitu Patwari wrote to President Droupadi Murmu. Patwari demanded dismissal of the Madhya Pradesh government, alleging that the state government blocked judicial accountability and shielded Minister Vijay Shah from legal scrutiny.
Patwari’s core charge is that the decision not to grant permission for prosecution, combined with political protection, raises a rule-of-law concern: whether people in power are being treated as above the law and whether judicial scrutiny is being weakened.
Background: sanction to prosecute as an accountability gate
The controversy centres on sanction to prosecute—government permission needed before certain criminal proceedings can proceed against specified public functionaries. In governance terms, sanction works like a procedural gate: without it, court examination of allegations can be delayed or blocked.
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