Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 21: The Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi on Monday hit back at “Muslim Commissioner” remark by the BJP Member of the Lok Sabha from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey saying while he believed in an idea of India where individuals should be defined by their contributions and not their religious identities, but “for some, religious identities are a staple to forward their hateful politics.”
Mr Quraishi, the country’s Chief Election Commissioner from July 2010 to June 2012, had earlier criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Act as a “sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands.” “Waqf Act is undoubtedly a blatantly sinister evil plan of the govt to grab Muslim lands. I’m sure SC will call it out. Misinformation by the mischievous propaganda machine has done its job well,” read his post on X. formerly Twitter.
In response, an enraged Mr Dubey — whose remarks against the Chief Justice of India caused an uproar that’s yet to die down — said Mr Quraishi was not an Election Commissioner but a “Muslim commissioner.” “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,” Mr Dubey had posted.
India “has, is and will always stand up and fight” for its constitutional institutions and principles, Mr Quraishi said. “I served on the constitutional post of Election Commissioner to the best of my ability and had a long and fulfilling career in the 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,” he said. “But I guess, for some, religious identities are a staple to forward their hateful politics. India has, is and will always stand up and fight for its constitutional institutions and principles,” he said.
Mr Quraishi also said, “Our Constitution guarantees freedom of expression… anybody can say what they want.” On being asked if he still stood by his criticism of the government on the Waqf Act, he said, “Of course, I do.”
Earlier on Monday morning, Mr Quraishi had posted a quote by playwright George Bernard Shaw on X without offering a context. “‘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!” his post read.
