A political controversy has erupted in Madhya Pradesh, as a Congress leader from Indore has launched a poster campaign declaring state minister Vijay Shah “missing” and offering a ₹11,000 reward for any information regarding his whereabouts.
The posters, titled ‘Gumshuda ki Talash’ (Search for Missing Person), have been put up across Indore by Vivek Khandelwal, president of the Indore district Congress Sewa Dal. Khandelwal claims that Shah has been absent from cabinet meetings and public appearances following backlash over his controversial remarks regarding the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
At an event near Mhow on May 12, Shah allegedly made a statement suggesting that India had taught a lesson to those responsible for the attack using “their own sister”, a remark widely interpreted as referring to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had briefed the media about Operation Sindoor. The statement sparked outrage, leading the Madhya Pradesh High Court to take suo motu cognizance and order an FIR against Shah within 24 hours of his speech.
The controversy escalated further when the Supreme Court rebuked Shah and directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter. Since then, Shah has reportedly remained out of public view, prompting Congress leaders to demand his resignation and intensify their agitation.
Khandelwal stated that the Congress will continue its protests until Shah steps down from his ministerial position. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have yet to issue an official response regarding the minister’s absence or the allegations against him.
