New Delhi, July 13 -- Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had great respect for the Election Commission and recalled that when he was conveyed poll body's views about the "loose talk" by his ministers during the second UPA government, he said "if that is what you think, I'll commit suicide...".

In an interview with ANI, Quraishi, who served as CEC from 2010 to 2012, said he was shocked to hear words of Manmohan Singh and "was not prepared for this at all".

Quraishi said it took him 15-20 minutes to calm the then Prime Minister.

He also said that any aspersion cast on Election Commission was not acceptable to Manmonan Singh.

The incident pertains to 2012 assembly polls in Ut...