Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has described in his forthcoming book a 2012 conversation with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Singh reportedly expressed deep distress, saying he would consider suicide if Quraishi believed he had allowed ministers to undermine the Election Commission.
The account refers to the Uttar Pradesh assembly election period, when Law Minister Salman Khurshid announced plans to raise Muslim job quotas. The opposition complained of a model code violation, leading to four days of hearings. The commission later issued a censure, its strongest available measure.
Quraishi writes that some Congress leaders later accused the commission of arrogance. He raised the issue at an Eid gathering with the prime minister’s press secretary, who relayed the concerns. Singh then requested an urgent meeting at his residence.
During the discussion, Singh described the Election Commission as India’s pride and the soul of its democracy. He said he had been unaware of the remarks and would have acted if informed. Quraishi notes the exchange highlighted Singh’s commitment to constitutional values through actions rather than words.
