The Congress, which had made the February 2019 Pulwama terror assault one of many key points within the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections pointing to “failure” of nationwide safety and the intelligence equipment, referred to as on the Government Saturday to answer the problems and questions that Malik’s remarks had raised.

In an interview Friday to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Malik, Governor of J&Ok from August 2018 to October 2019, claimed that the Home Ministry had refused to offer 5 plane requisitioned by the CRPF to ferry its personnel which resulted in numerous safety personnel transferring by highway in a convoy and changing into the goal of a lethal terrorist ambush.

“CRPF people (had) asked for aircraft to ferry their people because such a large convoy generally doesn’t travel by road,” Malik stated, including the request was made to the Home Ministry however “they refused to give”.

“Had they asked me, I would have given them the aircraft. Kaise bi deta. They wanted five aircraft. It was not provided…,” Malik stated.

“I told (this) to the Prime Minister the same evening…ki yeh hamari galti se hua hai. Agar hum aircraft de deta toh yeh nahin hota. Unhone mujhe kaha ki tum ab chup raho.” (I informed him that this occurred due to our mistake. Had we offered plane this might not have occurred. He informed me to remain silent).

“I told him that it was our mistake and I had already told this to couple of channels…he said don’t say all this…yeh koi aur cheez hai….woh hume bolne do.” Malik stated National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, too, had informed him to maintain quiet. He stated “yeh mat boliye, app chup rahiye.” He is my “class fellow…he can tell me anything…he said Satpal bhai yeh mat kaho.”

“I can share with you that I had sensed that the entire onus was being put on Pakistan so I have to keep quiet,” he stated.

“I remember he was in the national Corbett park…He was shooting…There was no phone facility there…after getting out from there he called me from a dhaba…asked me Satpal what happened. I said this has happened…I am distraught…yeh sirf hamari galti se hua…agar hum aircraft de dete toh yeh nahin hota.. Toh unhone kaha ki chup rahiye aap.”

This isn’t the primary time Malik had alleged lapses. In an interview to The Indian Express on February 15, a day after the attack, he had stated that the assault was partly the results of an intelligence failure, particularly attributable to the truth that safety forces couldn’t detect the loading and motion of the explosive-laden Scorpio. “We cannot accept that (intelligence failure). We could not detect or check the vehicle full of explosives moving on the highway. We must accept that we are at fault also,” he had stated.

Citing Malik’s remarks, the Congress questioned the Government. The primary opposition get together had raised the problem of safety and intelligence failure in a giant method after the Pulwama assault however the February 26 Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force eclipsed this line of assault and reshaped the political narrative.

Addressing a press convention on the AICC headquarters, the get together requested a number of inquiries to the Government together with some questions which it had flagged after the Pulwama assault.

“How did local terrorists acquire hundreds of kilograms of RDX, M4 Carbine and rocket launchers? How was an RDX-laden car permitted to enter the most secure Jammu-Srinagar national highway, despite standard operating procedure for sanitizing the convoy stretch?” the get together had requested then.

Today it refreshed the fees.

“Why were the CRPF men not allowed to travel by air, why did the Modi government not give permission for the same? Why were Jaish threats ignored? Why were the intelligence inputs, between 2 January, 2019 and 13 February, 2019, which had warned of a terrorist attack ignored? How did the militants procure such a huge stash of RDX? After a period of over four years, where has the inquiry in the Pulwama terror attack reached?” the Congress requested at a press convention addressed by the get together’s communication head Jairam Ramesh, media division chairman Pawan Khera and digital communication head Supriya Shrinate.

“What were the responsibilities fixed for NSA Ajit Doval and the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh? After such a big terror attack, why was the Governor asked by Prime Minister Modi to ‘keep quiet? People distributing certificates of treason need to answer, whether this is treason or not?,” they stated.

Khera stated the allegations by Malik are very critical in nature because it has come from a former Governor who was “very close” to the Prime Minister. Malik served because the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019. He was the final Governor of J&Ok earlier than the state was divided into two union territories. It was throughout his tenure that the BJP authorities scrapped Article 370, which gave particular standing to Jammu and Kashmir.

Shortly after abrogation of Article 370, Malik was shifted to Goa as Governor in November 2019. In August 2020, he was moved to Meghalaya. Malik had been focusing on the BJP authorities often for a while. He had spoken out in opposition to the Central authorities over the farmers’ agitation when he was the Governor of Meghalaya.

In October, 2021, when he was Governor of Meghalaya, Malik had claimed that he was supplied Rs 300 crore in bribes to clear two recordsdata together with one associated to an RSS chief. Based on this, the CBI registered two instances within the matter and carried out searches at 14 places within the case in April. The company has booked Anil Ambani’s Reliance General Insurance Company (RGIC) and officers of Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL) amongst others within the two instances.

In October 2022, Malik was questioned by CBI in reference to these two instances.

Malik had additionally focused the BJP Government over the controversial farm payments. In truth, in January 2022 he had alleged that Prime Minister Modi got here throughout as “arrogant” when he met him to debate the farmers’ stir and that he ended up having an argument with the latter.

Reacting to Malik’s costs, Shiv Sena UBT chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut stated those that had raised questions concerning the assault have been referred to as “anti- nationals and Pakistanis.” However, now that the then Governor has raised the identical questions, the Modi authorities ought to face “sedition” costs.