When he was Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Madhav Rao Scindia, then a very influential Congess leader, complained to him against the divisional commissioner of Gwalior, a powerful IAS officer who enjoyed the support of another Congress leader of the state. Scindias were rulers of Gwalior. ,Madhav Rao told Governor”Though people of my area call me Maharaja, the commissioner does not give respect due to me. I m local MP too. He never called on me”.Qureshi invited Scindia for a cup of tea at Raj Bhawan and also summoned the commissioner simultaneously. He advised the commissioner to seat behind a curtain in the ante-room with ADC and hear the complaints of Srimant(as Madhav Rao was addressed by Congress leaders).After Scindia had finished the cup and his grievances, he told, “I have summoned the commissioner too. He will say sorry to you.”He asked his ADC to advise the IAS officer to appear before the Gwalior MP. He immediately apologosied to the leader in the presence of the Governor. Dispute was settled and the two had happy innings in Gwalior.
The perfect gentleman politcian was member of union cabinet and held portfolios of railways, commerce, heavy industries, tourism and civil aviation and steel between 1966-1979 in Indira Gandhi government.
During his tenure, Jammu-Pathankot railway line was laid and survey for the Jammu-Baramulla rail line was made. Son of a transporter, who had business at Abottabad (now in Pakistan), Qureshi had studied in Amar Singh College, Srinagar, and Aligarh Muslim Univesity. A scholar of Arabic,Persian and Punjabi, Qureshi was a keen golfer too.
He was a perfect host, a genltleman dress conscious politiician who cared his guests were entertained .When there was no mobile in Kashmir, he attended all calls on his landline at his Haiderpura bungalow, then considered on the outskirts of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Different varieites of Kashmiri pastries and bakeries were laid on the table with Kahwaha, tea (noon or Lipton as desired by the guests.Litpton is common tea and Noon is made of salt. He never missed to attend the social functions, be it engagements or marriage ceremonies. His two sons and two daughters stayed in New Delhi or Bangalore and Qureshi and his attendant took care of the guests. I also stayed in the Afendi Bagh ,acroos the road connecting Haider Bagh residence of Qureshi. One of his neighbours was separatist leader Ghani Lone too. Qureshi had courtesy and decency to invite this scribe almost daily for tea and snacks on the lawns during summer and drawing room in the winter. During Deepawali festival, he had received a call from then chief minister of Madhya Prafdesh Digvijay Singh to greet MP’s former Governor, Qureshi told me, “Digvijay was inquiring about your welfare too.” This reporter was transferred from Bhopal and Qureshi had completed his term at Bhopal Raj Bhawan a few months back.
As Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee,he used to take this reporter also in his bullet proof Ambassador to the meetings of the party in different districts. At one meeting, he recalled, how the elections were rigged in the past and said he himself became a victim at Anantnag. The returning officer had announced his victory and his supporters had taken out a procession too, meanwhile, his opponent,a candidate of National Conference was given the certificate of election. At Amira Kadal, defeat of a successful candidate added fuel to the fire of insurgency and the “successful,but declared defeated” leader now leads a militant outfit in POK afetr migrating from the Valley.
Qureshi had been Governor of four states but led a simple life. He recalled once he was returning to his residence from Rawalpora airport.An army vehicle with a junior young officer on the front was overtaken by his ambassador,only to be stopped by the army officer who banged his car’s window and shouted for daring to overtake army vehicle.
On another occasion, his car had developed trouble near Awantipora.He was standing outside while the driver was on the job. A CRPF patrol party was passing through the road and asked the driver to remove the car from the highways as convoy of forces were expected to pass through. Qureshi said:”I could see ……Patwa on the name plate of the officer’s uniform. I simply inquired whether he was from MP, he replied in postitive. Then I asked which part of MP, he said Mandsaur. Then I asked him,” Do you know ,Qureshi saheb was Governor in MP. When h replied in affirmative, I introduced myself”I am Shafi Qureshi.”
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