NEW DELHI: Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has revealed a dramatic behind-the-scenes encounter from 2012, disclosing that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh grew so deeply distressed over a confrontation with the poll panel that he told him, “I will commit suicide.”
The startling revelation features in Quraishi’s latest book, “India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir”. The episode dates back to the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, following a major showdown between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the then UPA government.
The controversy began when then Union Minister Salman Khurshid, while campaigning in UP, promised to hike the job quota for Muslims from 4.5 per cent to 9 per cent if Congress came to power. The BJP filed a swift complaint alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which bars the announcement of new schemes once the election process begins.
After a four-day hearing involving both parties, the EC decided to censure Khurshid—a move Quraishi describes as the strongest action available under the code.
However, the ruling party did not take the censure well. Quraishi notes that an upset Khurshid and other Congress leaders began indulging in “loose talk,” accusing the Commission of being “arrogant or arbitrary.”
Disturbed by the political commentary chipping away at the institutional credibility of the EC, Quraishi flagged his concerns to Harish Khare, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary. Khare asked if the matter should be escalated to the Prime Minister, to which Quraishi agreed.
The next day, an anxious Dr Manmohan Singh called Quraishi over the secure Restricted Access Exchange (RAX) phone line, asking to meet urgently. Quraishi rushed to the PM’s residence at 7 PM.
Describing the meeting, Quraishi writes that the Prime Minister appeared visibly shaken by the feedback.
“‘Harish told me what you said. If that is what you think, I will commit suicide.’ I was speechless,” Quraishi writes, clarifying that his grievances were directed at individual ministers, not the PM himself.
It took Quraishi several minutes to calm down the Prime Minister. Dr Singh reportedly told him that he was completely unaware of the statements made by his ministers, adding: “If I had known, I would have blasted them. If ever you have something to say, just pick up the phone and call me.”
Emphasizing his respect for the poll panel, Dr Singh had added, “The Election Commission is not just India’s pride; it is the soul of our democracy. If we lose that, we lose everything.”
According to the former CEC, the political attacks on the Election Commission stopped immediately after this meeting. Reflecting on Dr Singh’s character, Quraishi writes that in a profession that rewards a thick skin, the former PM stood out for his rare sensitivity in the exercise of power.
