E-Paper
‘SY Quraishi was a Muslim commissioner’: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey attacks ex CEC over Waqf Act criticism
Dubey’s remarks on Quraishi came after the latter called the Waqf (Amendment) Act a “sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday launched an attack on former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, calling him a "Muslim commissioner" rather than an election commissioner. This came a day after Dubey stirred controversy with his remarks targeting the Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court, and his criticism of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which Quraishi had earlier described as a "sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands".
Quraishi, who previously served as the CEC of India, had posted on X on April 17. "Wakf 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."
In response, Dubey accused Quraishi of communal bias during his tenure. He 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.”
Dubey added, “Prophet Muhammad's Islam came to India in 712. This land (Waqf), before that, belonged to Hindus or tribals, Jains or Buddhists associated with that faith.”
He further brought in a historical reference from his background, saying, "Unite this country, read history. Pakistan was created by dividing it. There will be no partition now."
He also noted, “My village Vikramshila, was burnt down by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1189 and that the Vikramshila University gave the world its 'first vice chancellor' in Atish Dipankar.”
Dubey’s remarks have drawn criticism from opposition parties like the Congress and AAP, which denounced them as an attack on judicial independence. His earlier outburst against the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, in which he held them responsible for “religious wars” in India, prompted the BJP to distance itself from his statements.
Dubey is currently serving his fourth term as the Lok Sabha MP from Godda in Jharkhand.
Dubey's remarks about the Supreme Court
Nishikant Dubey previously accused the Supreme Court of “inciting religious wars” and went so far as to question its authority, suggesting that if the court is making laws, then there is no need for Parliament to function.
Dubey also took issue with earlier rulings by the court, including its decisions on decriminalising homosexuality and resolving religious matters. He alleged that the judiciary was steering the nation towards disorder. “The Supreme Court wants to push the country towards anarchy,” he said.
“Article 368 states that only the Parliament has the authority to make laws in this country. The Supreme Court has the right to interpret the law. But now the Supreme Court is saying that the President should decide what to do within three months, and the Governor should decide what to do within three months,” he told ANI.
His attack on the judiciary came just hours after another remark: “If the Supreme Court is making the laws, then the parliament building should be shut down.”
These statements coincided with the apex court’s hearing on a series of petitions questioning the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
In response to the backlash, the BJP distanced itself from Dubey’s statements. Party president JP Nadda clarified that the remarks were Dubey’s “personal views” and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to judicial independence, describing the judiciary as an “inseparable part of democracy.” He also said he had advised party members “not to make such comments.”
