‘Muslim commissioner’: Amid Supreme Court row, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey targets poll panel ex-chief

Nishikant Dubey and SY Quraishi.

NEW DELHI: A day after controversial statements on Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey targeted former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi, labelling him a ‘Muslim commissioner‘.
The incident occured following Quraishi’s criticism of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which he described as a ‘sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands.’
On April 17, Quraishi posted on X: “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.”
Responding on Sunday, Dubey accused Quraishi of facilitating Bangladeshi infiltrators’ voter registration in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana during his tenure. “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,” he wrote on X.

“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. My village, Vikramshila, was burnt by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1189. Vikramshila University gave the world its first vice-chancellor in the form of Atish Dipankar,” added Dubey, who currently serves his fourth term as Lok Sabha representative from Godda, Jharkhand.
He concluded by stating: “Unite this country, read history; division created Pakistan, and there will be no more partitions now, will there?”

This incident occurred shortly after Dubey’s controversial comments about CJI Khanna and the apex court, which led the BJP to dissociate itself from his statements. Dubey had said that the Supreme Court was ‘inciting religious wars’ and questioned its authority, suggesting that the Parliament building should be closed if the apex court was to make laws.
“The top court has only one aim: ‘Show me the face, and I will show you the law’. 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,” Dubey told ANI.

Referring to past decisions of the court, Dubey criticised the judiciary for its handling of issues like the decriminalisation of homosexuality and religious disputes. “There was an Article 377 in which homosexuality was a big crime. The Trump administration has said that there are only two sexes in this world, either male or female…Whether it is Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh, all believe that homosexuality is a crime. One fine morning, the Supreme Court said that we abolish this case…Article 141 says that the laws we make, the judgments we give, are applicable from the lower court to the Supreme Court. Article 368 states that Parliament has the authority to enact all laws, and the Supreme Court has the power to interpret the law. The top court is asking the President and Governor to tell what they have to do regarding the Bills. When the Ram Mandir, Krishna Janmabhoomi, or Gyanvapi issue arises, you (SC) say, ‘Show us the paper’. Mughals ke aane ke baad jo Masjid banne hai unke liye keh raho ho paper kaha se dikhao,” he added.

Dubey further alleged that the Supreme Court wants to take this country towards “anarchy.”
“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 make 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 had said.