Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah is facing more trouble, this time from Karnataka, for his alleged controversial remarks against army official Sophia Qureshi. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday directed the Superintendent of Police, Belagavi, to register an FIR against the Madhya Pradesh Minister.

The state Home Minister told media persons in Bengaluru that the minister’s statement was an affront not only to her but also to the entire nation.

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“Colonel Sophia Qureshi is the daughter-in-law of Belagavi. The statement made by the BJP minister is deeply insulting. I have instructed the Belagavi SP to take appropriate legal action and notify the central government,” the Home Minister said. “No one should harbour such a small-minded view. This is an insult to every Indian who serves the country with honour,” he said.

Colonel Qureshi, a decorated officer in the Indian Army, has previously made headlines as one of the few women to lead an Indian Army contingent at an international military exercise.

The state Home Minister also lashed out against the Centre for withholding funds that are due to Karnataka. Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah had on Wednesday accused the Centre of giving step-motherly treatment to the state and spoke about a huge backlog of central government funds, despite repeated appeals.

“We have been urging the Centre for the last two years to release the funds owed to the state. In many cases, the disbursal is either delayed or doesn’t come through at all. The Chief Minister has already held discussions and urged our MPs to press the Centre for immediate release,” the state Home Minister said, echoing the sentiments of the Chief Minister and the cabinet.

Parameshwara said a protest was previously staged in Delhi to highlight the issue, and that the continued delay hampers the state’s development efforts. “Why should we be forced to demand what is rightfully ours? The Centre must respect the federal structure and release the funds promptly,” he asserted.

Responding to questions about the absence of MPs from a recent meeting, Parameshwara said, “Only they can say why they didn’t attend. Perhaps they were busy. But the government and the Chief Minister have always respected our MPs.”

Looking ahead, the Home Minister announced a large-scale government event scheduled for May 20 at Hospet in Vijayanagar district. Over 50,000 people are expected to receive entitlement certificates under the Revenue Department’s initiatives. Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Randeep Surjewala are slated to attend the meetings.