NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called attention to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s heartfelt statements, where he expressed feelings of despair, stating he would “commit suicide” after the then Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi highlighted the distress caused by loose remarks from ministers. This incident has been used by the BJP as evidence of Congress’s enduring tendency to undermine the integrity of democratic institutions.
The BJP argued, “When in power, Congress attempted to intimidate the Election Commission, and now that in opposition, it tries to tarnish the institution every time election results are unfavorable to them.” Congress, however, responded by citing different excerpts from Quraishi’s book that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jairam Ramesh from Congress defended Singh, asserting that it was neither Singh’s nature nor his principles to politicize critical national institutions. He stated, “History has been and will continue to be kind to Dr. Singh for his statesmanship and commitment to democracy.”
The BJP further pointed to the past actions of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, claiming that its ministers routinely attacked the Election Commission when confronted regarding breaches of the model code of conduct. Amit Malviya of the BJP noted an incident from 2012 involving the former law minister Salman Khurshid, who faced censure for promising an enhanced quota for Muslims during a campaign, leading to a public confrontation that spiraled out of control, according to Quraishi.
Ramesh added a poignant contrast, stating that while Singh viewed the Election Commission as the essence of Indian democracy, Modi perceives it merely as a tool for exercising political dominance.
