National News

“You Were Not An Election Commissioner, You Were A Muslim Commissioner”: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey Slams Former CEC Quraishi For Supporting Waqf Board

April 21, 2025
The Commune

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has sparked a national debate with his bold stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Act and concerns over judicial activism. In a pointed response to former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi’s criticism of the Act, Dubey defended the government’s position, calling out what he described as communal bias and historical injustice in land ownership.

Quraishi, in a post on his X handle, had labelled the Waqf Act a “sinister and evil plan to grab Muslim lands.” He wrote, “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.”

Dubey responded to this sharply, accusing the former CEC of acting with religious bias during his tenure. “You were not an election commissioner, you were a Muslim commissioner,” he posted on X, further alleging that large numbers of Bangladeshi infiltrators were added to voter rolls in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana under Quraishi’s watch.

Dubey also invoked historical context to question the legitimacy of expansive Waqf claims, stating that lands before the advent of Islam in India in 712 CE belonged to Hindus, tribals, Jains, and Buddhists. Citing his own village’s destruction by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1189, and the legacy of the ancient Vikramshila University, he urged citizens to “unite this country” and revisit real Indian history.

The MP’s remarks came amid a larger controversy involving the judiciary’s interpretation of constitutional powers. A day earlier, Dubey questioned the Supreme Court’s recent directives that impose timelines on constitutional authorities like the President and Governors. He warned that judicial overreach was threatening the constitutional balance of powers. He said, “…Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country. The Supreme Court is going beyond its limits. If one has to go to the Supreme Court for everything, then Parliament and State Assembly should be shut…”

He further questioned, “How can you give direction to the appointing authority? The President appoints the Chief Justice of India. The Parliament makes the law of this country. You will dictate that Parliament?… How did you make a new law? In which law is it written that the President has to take a decision within three months? This means that you want to take this country towards anarchy. When the Parliament sits, there will be a detailed discussion on this…”

He also blamed the CJI, “Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna is responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country”

While the BJP officially distanced itself from Dubey’s comments, with party president J P Nadda clarifying they were personal opinions, Dubey stood by his statements and said he had not consulted the party before making them.

Supporters of Dubey have praised him for raising questions that others shy away from — particularly on issues of land rights, judicial accountability, and the under-representation of marginalised communities in the higher judiciary. In his comments, he also highlighted the domination of upper-caste judges and the minimal presence of SC, ST, and OBC communities in the justice system.

Now in his fourth term as Lok Sabha MP from Godda, Jharkhand, Dubey has once again positioned himself as an outspoken advocate for constitutional clarity, historical justice, and a more balanced democratic process.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)

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