Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi slammed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his “Muslim commissioner” barb, stating that he believed in in an idea of India “where an individual is defined by his or her talents and contributions and not by their religious identities.”
“I served on the constitutional post of Election Commissioner to the best of my ability and had a long and fulfilling career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). I believe in an idea of India where an individual is defined by his or her talents and contributions and not by their religious identities,” Quraishi told PTI.
S Y Quraishi further asserted he believes in an idea of India where an individual is defined by his contributions, and asserted that “for some, religious identities are a staple to forward their hateful politics”.
Nishikant Dubey’s ‘Muslim Commissioner’ remark
Nishikant Dubey’s barb at S Y Quraishi came a day after his attack on the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Sanjiv Khanna, blaming the CJI for causing “civil wars” in India.
A day after the comments caused uproar, Dubey fired a salvo at Quraishi for commenting that the Waqf (Amendment) Act is a “sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands”. Reacting to Quraishi’s remarks, Dubey had said, “You were not an election commissioner, you were a Muslim commissioner. The maximum number of Bangladeshi infiltrators were made voters in Santhal Pargana in Jharkhand during your tenure,” reported PTI.
S Y Quraishi received support from several politicians including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who stated it was time to stand up for human worth over community labels.
S Y Quraishi’s post
Earlier in the morning, without any reference, Quraishi posted, “‘I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it’ — George Bernard Shaw. A very wise quote of the great author!”
Shashi Tharoor backs S Y Quraishi
Tagging a report on Quraishi’s remarks, Tharoor said, “He’s absolutely right. As Martin Luther King famously said, he strove for a world where people would be judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Today in India it is not skin colour, but religious or caste identity that some have chosen to privilege over ‘the content of their character’. It is time to stand up for human worth over community labels.”
Several other political leaders and parties rallied behind Quraishi and slammed Dubey for his remarks.
Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Nishikant Dubey
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at Dubey, saying he should refrain from commenting on a former constitutional authority who has served the nation with distinction.
In a post on X, Yadav wrote, “One who has already been discredited by his own party for making a ‘personal opinion’ that is not worthy of endorsement should maintain silence on a retired constitutional officer. That would be more respectful.”
CPI General Secretary D Raja condemns Dubey’s remarks
CPI General Secretary D Raja condemned Dubey’s remarks and alleged that the BJP does not have any respect for the Constitution.
“SY Quraishi was an election commissioner, but this man calls him a Muslim Commissioner. It is atrocious, highly condemnable. What are Mr Modi and Mr Nadda going to say on this issue?” Raja asked.
“It has become a practice of the BJP to allow their loyalists to speak provocative things. When they are caught, it will say they are fringe elements and the party has nothing to do with it… What action are you taking?” he asked.
Sanjay Raut backs Quraishi
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said Quraishi was one of the best election commissioners that this country has seen after T N Seshan.
“What kind of language have Modi-Shah spread in this country? These people who try to break the country do not deserve to live in this country,” Raut said.
JD(U) spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said the BJP was uncomfortable with what Dubey has said against Quraishi and his earlier comment, and the BJP president has distanced the party from the comment.
“This comment should also be seen in that category. It is not appropriate to make a religious comment on SY Quraishi,” he said.
Quraishi was the Chief Election Commissioner of India from July 2010 to June 2012.
Dubey is a fourth-term Lok Sabha MP from Godda in Jharkhand.
