New Delhi: In an interview that would trigger political earthquakes within the Modi authorities, the Bharatiya Janata Party and in Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, the final governor of J&Ok earlier than it was divided and diminished to Union territory standing, says “Mein safely keh sakta hoon Prime Minister ko corruption se bahut nafrat nahin hain” (‘I can safely say the PM has no real problem with corruption’). 

Malik, who was governor throughout the Pulwama terrorist assault of February 2019 and the scrapping of Article 370 in August that yr, additionally says the prime minister is “ill-informed” and “ignorant” about Kashmir and instructed him not to talk about the Union house ministry’s lapses which led to the devastating terrorist assault on troopers in Pulwama in February 2019. 

In a wide-ranging interview, Malik revealed that the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama was a results of “incompetence” and “laparvahi” by the Indian system and particularly the CRPF and the house ministry. At the time, Rajnath Singh was house minister. Malik gave intensive particulars of how the CRPF had requested for plane to move its jawans however was refused by the Union house ministry. He additionally spoke of how sanitisation of the route was not completed successfully. 

More importantly, he stated all of those lapses have been raised by him instantly when Modi called him from outside Corbett Park shortly after the Pulwama assault. He stated the prime minister instructed him to maintain quiet about this and never inform anybody. Separately, Malik stated that NSA Ajit Doval additionally instructed him to maintain quiet and never discuss it. Malik stated he instantly realised that the intention was to place the blame on Pakistan and derive electoral profit for the federal government and the BJP.

Malik additionally stated that there was grave intelligence failure within the Pulwama incident as a result of the automobile carrying 300 kilograms of RDX explosives had come from Pakistan however was travelling across the roads and villages of Jammu and Kashmir for 10-15 days with out being detected and with out anybody figuring out.

Also learn: Two Years After Pulwama, Questionable Official Lapses Still Remain to be Probed

Malik discusses intimately why he didn’t let Mehbooba Mufti kind a brand new authorities regardless that she claimed a majority of 56 within the 87 member meeting and why he selected as an alternative to dissolve the meeting in November 2018. At one level, he accuses Mehbooba Mufti of mendacity. At one other level he says the events whose assist she was claiming, such because the National Conference, have been individually telling him to dissolve the meeting as a result of they feared horse-trading. 

Malik offers particulars of how, when he was governor of J&Ok, he was approached by the BJP-RSS chief Ram Madhav to clear a hydro-electric scheme and a Reliance insurance coverage scheme however he refused to take action, saying “Mein ghalat kaam nahin karoonga (I won’t do a wrong thing)”. Madhav got here to see him at seven within the morning to attempt to get him to alter his thoughts. Malik says on the time folks have been telling him that he may get Rs 300 crores for clearing each schemes.

Malik stated the prime minister is “ignorant” and “ill-informed” about Kashmir. He stated eradicating Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood was a mistake and it needs to be restored instantly. He stated the PM “mast hain apne mein – to hell with it!”

Speaking about Modi, Malik stated the prime minister is by no means involved about corruption. He stated he was eliminated as governor of Goa in August 2020 and despatched to Meghalaya as a result of he had delivered to the prime minister’s consideration a number of situations of corruption which the federal government selected to disregard reasonably than deal with. He alleged that the folks across the prime minister are indulging in corruption and sometimes use the PMO’s title. Malik stated he had introduced all of this to Modi’s consideration however added that the PM didn’t appear to care. That’s when he stated, “Mein safely keh sakta hoon Prime Minister ko corruption se bahut nafrat nahin hain”.

Malik additionally stated that every one the appointments granted by President Droupadi Murmu are, the truth is, vetted by the PMO. He stated an appointment he had been given by the president when he was nonetheless a governor was cancelled on the final second when he was really en path to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Among Malik’s different explosive information factors:

• He says the prime minister’s handling of the BBC is a horrible mistake. 
• He was sharply essential of the PM’s and a number of other minister’s therapy of Muslims. 
• He says the Prime Minister has suffered severe injury due to the Adani scandal and provides that this has seeped all the way down to village ranges and will severely injury the BJP within the subsequent elections, notably if the opposition can discipline a single candidate towards the BJP.
• Malik says refusing Rahul Gandhi permission to talk in parliament was an unprecedented mistake. Rahul Gandhi has raised the fitting questions on the Adani scandal, he provides, which clearly the prime minister can’t reply.
• Malik accuses the federal government of appointing ‘third rate people’ as governors. 

The interview was carried out bilingually, in each (easy, colloquial) Hindi and English. 

The interview ends with Malik confirming that he stands by every little thing he has stated concerning the prime minister and isn’t apprehensive or frightened of any repercussions. However, he does reveal that he has been given minimal safety – loads lower than the official safety committee really useful – however provides that doesn’t fear him.

Watch the total interview here.

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To assist readers perceive the vary of points introduced up and the extent to which Malik was questioned I now record beneath the 28 questions that have been put to him.

1) You grew to become Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018 when there was President’s rule. Three months later when Mehbooba Mufti desperately tried to contact you to say she had assist from Congress and the National Conference and subsequently had a majority of 56 within the 87 member meeting you wouldn’t take her name and it was claimed the fax at your residence didn’t obtain her letter. Yet minutes later you dissolved the meeting. Why did you do this?  Did the Modi authorities inform you to not let Mehbooba kind a authorities?

2) This is what Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: “In today’s age of technology, it’s very strange that the fax machine at HE Governor’s residence didn’t receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the assembly dissolution.” She’s clearly suggesting it’s a lie your fax machine didn’t obtain her letter.

3) Now take a look at your rationalization. You instructed a TV information channel: “My office was shut because of Eid so I got no communication from Mehbooba Mufti. On a holiday, no one was sitting next to the fax machine.” Is that actually how issues are run on the Governor’s home, as a result of that is starting to sound like a comedy? (Hindustan Times).

4)  The outcome was you dissolved an meeting that would nonetheless kind a viable authorities with a majority. That’s clearly unconstitutional and the mistaken factor so that you can do as Governor. Are you happy with what you probably did? Or do you remorse it?

5) Three months later in February 2019 Pulwama occurred. Let’s discuss that. There have been antagonistic intelligence studies proper by way of January and as much as the center of February and but 1,000 CRPF jawans have been taken by highway in a convoy which was a sitting goal. You have been Governor on the time, how do you clarify this?

6)  In an interview you’ve given on YouTube you’ve stated the route was not correctly sanitised and safety was not correct. Can you give me particulars of the lapses you might be speaking about?

7) In that interview you stated this was “incompetence” and “laparvahi”. Kisski incompetence and kisski laparvahi?  

8) Subsequently there have been studies {that a} senior police officer referred to as Davinder Singh had some type of conspiratorial function to play. You have stated you understand him personally. Who was this man and what was the function he performed? Will we ever know the total reality about what occurred at Pulwama?

9) Now on the fifth of August Article 370 was abruptly abrogated. Two days earlier you gave a public assurance nothing like this may occur. It appears you have been intentionally deceptive folks. Were you requested by Delhi to take action?

[“Only rumour-mongering is going on … till today I have no inclination, no information, I have talked to everybody in Delhi and nobody has given me any hint that they will do this or that. Somebody says there will be trifurcation. Somebody says Article 35, Article 370. Nobody has discussed these things with me either Prime Minister or Home Minister.” – Satya Pal Malik to ANI, August 3, 2019.]

10)  The BJP has an extended dedication to abrogating Article 370, however why was the state divided into two and demoted to union territory standing? Many folks thought that was a deliberate try to humiliate Kashmiris.

11)  After the abrogation of Article 370 it appears your administration unleashed a reign of terror towards journalists. This is what Anuradha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of the Kashmir Times, has written in The New York Times: “Journalists were routinely summoned by the police, interrogated and threatened with charges such as income tax violations or terrorism or separatism. Several prominent journalists were detained … at least 20 were placed on no fly lists to prevent them from leaving the country.” Why did you do that? What was the necessity for it?

– “Modi’s repressive media policies are destroying Kashmiri journalism (and) intimidating media outlets into serving as government mouthpieces”.  

12)  Now in your YouTube interview you spoke about an try by Reliance Insurance to start out an insurance coverage scheme in Kashmir. In this connection, Ram Madhav got here to see you at 7 a.m. one morning – earlier than you had even had your bathtub – to get you to agree however you stated “mein galat kaam nahin karoonga”. What was the galat kaam you have been being requested to do?

13) So Ram Madhav was clearly asking you to do the mistaken factor?

14) In that interview you say you have been supplied Rs 300 crore to clear this scheme. Who made the provide?

15) You stated in that interview that when the CBI questioned you you replied, “Pradhan Mantri ke log hain”. Does that imply Mr. Modi was concerned on this?

16) Now simply 14 months after you arrived in Srinagar you have been transferred to Goa. Why was that completed? Was it related to this Reliance Insurance matter and your declare “Pradhan Mantri ke log hain“?

17) I imagine you might be writing a e-book concerning the 14 months you spent as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Will this be an sincere e-book the place you’ll reveal every little thing, together with the themes you’ve talked about as we speak?

18) Let’s widen our dialogue. In January final yr at a operate in Dadri in Haryana you spoke a couple of assembly with the Prime Minister throughout the farmers’ agitation. You stated: “Meri panch minute main ladai ho gayi unse … who bahut ghamand main the”. (Indian Express, January 3, 2022). You additionally met Amit Shah who stated of Modi “Satya Pal iski akal maar rakhi hai logon ne”. (Indian Express, January 4, 2022). So let me ask you what do you consider Narendra Modi as we speak?

19)  Modi doesn’t cease ministers and even chief ministers who publicly taunt muslims. They name them “Babar ki aulad, abba jaan and Go to Pakistan.” Modi himself has stated “kapde se pahchan lo” and “kabristan aur shamshan ghat”. Is it proper for the Prime Minister of India to talk this manner and let his ministers converse this manner about Indian residents who’re Muslims?

20) What concerning the Prime Minister’s dealing with of the BBC documentary which he compelled social media to take down? And what concerning the tax raids on the BBC after that? Was this the fitting approach for the Prime Minister of a democracy to deal with criticism from the media?

21)  The Adani scandal is among the most severe to have affected India in current instances. Again the Prime Minister is totally silent and many individuals assume it is because he’s defending Adani. Has the Prime Minister dealt with this correctly?

22)  In 1989 V. P. Singh, who you have been near, made Bofors an election subject and defeated Rajiv Gandhi. Does the Adani subject have the identical potential and energy in 2024?

23)  Finally, there’s the therapy of Rahul Gandhi. He wished to talk in parliament as a result of 4 BJP ministers had been allowed to talk about him. He wished to answer. The Speaker didn’t enable it. Was that appropriate?

24) What concerning the disqualification? 24 hours after his conviction he was disqualified. But within the 2016 case of Naranbhai Kachhadia, a BJP MP, he was not instantly disqualified however given 16 days to get a keep. Isn’t this double requirements?

25)  Finally, in that YouTube interview you stated that the vice chancellors appointed by BJP Governors are RSS individuals who ought to by no means have been appointed. Are you saying they lack the educational {qualifications} to be vice chancellors?

26) You have additionally stated Governors needs to be appointed after consulting the opposition and you’ve got advised it needs to be just like the way in which the Supreme Court needs election commissioners appointed. So you desire a Collegium to make the appointment not the Prime Minister on his personal?

27) Should individuals who have simply retired from politics be appointed Governors? Should governorships be handled as retiring grounds for folks the Prime Minister not needs in his cupboard?

28)  Finally, if the opposition can unite and put up one-to-one fights towards the BJP can Modi be defeated in 2024?

Watch the total interview here.