‘Judge by talent, not religion': Ex-CEC SY Quraishi after BJP MP calls him ‘Muslim commissioner'
A day after Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey called former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi a 'Muslim commissioner', the former poll panel head said on Monday that individuals should be judged by their contributions rather than their religious identifies, PTI reported.
'But I guess, for some, religious identities are a staple to forward their hateful politics,' Quraishi further said. 'India has, is and will always stand up and fight for its constitutional institutions and principles.'
Dubey had made the remarks about Quraishi in response to his comments about the Waqf Amendment Act passed on April 4. 'The maximum number of Bangladeshi infiltrators were made voters in Santhal Pargana in Jharkhand during your tenure,' he claimed.
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.'
A waqf is an endowment under Islamic law dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.
The Waqf Amendment Act curbs the authority of waqf boards and allows greater government control over them. Several Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have challenged the Act before the Supreme Court, alleging that it violates the right to equality and the freedom to manage religious affairs.
Echoing these concerns, Quraishi said on April 17 that the Waqf Amendment Act was ' undoubtedly a blatantly sinister/evil plan of the govt to grab Muslim lands'.
'I'm sure SC [Supreme Court] will call it out,' the former chief election commissioner said on social media. 'Misinformation by the mischievous propaganda machine has done its job well.'
Dubey's remarks about Quraishi on Sunday came a day after the BJP MP said that the Supreme Court was responsible for 'inciting religious wars' in the country.
Dubey cited the court's decisions to decriminalise homosexuality in 2018 and the striking down of section 66(a) of the Information Technology Act in 2021.
The MP from Jharkhand's Godda claimed that the court had decriminalised homosexuality despite 'all [religious] communities considering it wrong '. He also claimed that section 66(a) of the IT Act was necessary to stop the misuse of online platforms to share objectionable content.
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