Nishikant Dubey Sparks Row with Communal, Anti-Judiciary Remarks; BJP Distances Itself
New Delhi, April 20:
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has triggered a political storm with a barrage of controversial statements targeting former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, the Supreme Court, and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. His remarks have drawn sharp condemnation from opposition parties and prompted the BJP to issue a public distancing from his views.
Dubey, who represents Godda in Jharkhand in his fourth term as a Lok Sabha MP, lashed out at Quraishi on Sunday, calling him a “Muslim commissioner” rather than an “election commissioner.” The comments followed Quraishi’s April 17 post on X, in which the former CEC described the Waqf Amendment Act as a “blatantly sinister evil plan of the government to grab Muslim lands.” Quraishi expressed hope that the Supreme Court would strike it down.
In response, Dubey accused Quraishi of communal bias during his tenure as CEC, claiming he facilitated the inclusion of Bangladeshi infiltrators in the voter rolls in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region.
“You were not an election commissioner, you were a Muslim commissioner,” Dubey said. He further stated, “Prophet Muhammad’s Islam came to India in 712. This land (Waqf), before that, belonged to Hindus or tribals, Jains or Buddhists.”
Citing history, Dubey referred to his own village, Vikramshila, claiming it was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1189, and added that the ancient Vikramshila University gave the world its first vice-chancellor in Atish Dipankar.
Attacks on Judiciary and Supreme Court
Dubey’s criticism wasn’t limited to Quraishi. In a separate tirade, he accused the Supreme Court of “inciting religious wars” and questioned its authority, saying, “If the Supreme Court is making laws, then there is no need for Parliament.” He also expressed discontent with previous court rulings on issues such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality and religious matters, asserting, “The Supreme Court wants to push the country towards anarchy.”
Citing Article 368 of the Constitution, Dubey argued that law-making is solely the domain of Parliament and accused the judiciary of overstepping its role by issuing time-bound directives to the President and Governors.
Opposition Hits Back, BJP Issues Clarification
Opposition parties including the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) denounced Dubey’s remarks as an assault on judicial independence and an attempt to stoke communal tensions.
Facing mounting backlash, the BJP leadership was quick to clarify that Dubey’s statements reflected his personal opinions, not the party’s stance. BJP national president JP Nadda reiterated the party’s respect for the judiciary, calling it an “inseparable part of democracy,” and confirmed that Dubey had been advised not to make such statements in the future.
The controversy comes at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing multiple petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The politically sensitive nature of the issue and Dubey’s remarks have added fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding the law and communal representation in governance.