SY Quraishi was not election commissioner but 'Muslim commissioner': Nishikant on Waqf Act criticism
New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI): After causing an uproar with his remarks against the Chief Justice of India, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday fired a salvo at S Y Quraishi, saying he was not an election commissioner but a "Muslim commissioner", after the latter criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Act as a "sinister and evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands".
Quraishi is a former Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Dubey's religious barb at the former CEC came a day after his vitriolic attack on the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, blaming him for "religious wars" in India, forced the BJP to reject his criticism and distance itself from the controversial remarks.
Quraishi had alleged 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."
The BJP MP chose to react on Sunday.
Dubey 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.
"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."
Dubey said his 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.
He added, "Unite this country, read history. Pakistan was created by dividing it. There will be no partition now."
Dubey is a fourth-term Lok Sabha MP from Godda in Jharkhand.
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.
— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) April 17, 2025
आप चुनाव आयुक्त नहीं,मुस्लिम आयुक्त थे,झारखंड के संथालपरगना में बांग्लादेशी घुसपैठिया को वोटर सबसे ज़्यादा आपके कार्यकाल में ही बनाया गया ।पैगंबर मुहम्मद साहब का इस्लाम भारत में 712 में आया,उसके पहले तो यह ज़मीन हिंदुओं की या उस आस्था से जुड़ी आदिवासी,जैन या बौद्ध धर्मावलंबी की… https://t.co/yf8uBjmoYN
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) April 20, 2025
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
ALSO READ: Kalaburagi: ‘Vartha Bharati’ Kalyana Karnataka edition launched
Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
