Nishikant Dubey sparks new row in online spat with former CEC over Waqf Act, calls him 'Muslim Commissioner'

A day after making controversial remarks targeting the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has courted fresh controversy by engaging in a heated exchange on social media with former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi. The argument, centered around the Waqf Amendment Act, took a communal turn when Dubey accused Quraishi of bias during his tenure.

Quraishi, who served as India's 17th Chief Election Commissioner from 2010 to 2012, had posted on social media platform X, calling the Waqf Act a “blatantly sinister/evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands.” He expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would intervene, blaming “mischievous propaganda” for public misinformation.

In response, Dubey launched a scathing attack, referring to Quraishi as "not an Election Commissioner, but a Muslim Commissioner." He alleged that during Quraishi's tenure, the maximum number of Bangladeshi infiltrators were issued voter IDs in Santhal Pargana, a region that falls under Dubey’s Godda Lok Sabha constituency in Jharkhand.

Dubey further delved into historical assertions, stating that Islam was introduced to India in 712 AD by Prophet Muhammad, and that the land originally belonged to Hindus, tribal communities, Jains, or Buddhists. Referencing his village Vikramshila, he claimed it was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1189, and highlighted its historical significance as the home of Atisha Dipankar, a global religious scholar. “Unite this country, read its history—it was division that created Pakistan. There will be no more division,” Dubey wrote.

The fresh controversy follows Dubey’s earlier criticism of CJI Sanjiv Khanna, where he accused the top judge of causing "civil wars" in the country. He also questioned the constitutional validity of the Supreme Court’s directive to the President regarding timelines on approving legislation forwarded by governors.

In response to the backlash, the BJP distanced itself from Dubey’s and fellow MP Dinesh Sharma’s remarks. Party president J.P. Nadda issued a clarification, stating:
“The BJP has nothing to do with the comments of MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the Chief Justice of India. These are their personal views. The BJP neither agrees with nor supports such statements and outrightly rejects them.”

Dinesh Sharma, who served as Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (2017–2022), had similarly criticized the judiciary on Saturday, asserting that no one can direct Parliament or the President.