Satypal Malik is turning tables albeit on himself. In a recent interview with a leftist portal, the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has claimed credit for the abrogation of Article 370. This comes exactly eight months after his controversial interview with The Wire wherein he claimed that the Centre had not informed him about its decision to revoke Article 370.
In his 17-minute 54-second long interview with “The Red Mike”, Satyapal Malik welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the abrogation of Article 370. He said, “I welcome the order because the abrogation of Article 370 began with my letter. And I have been proven right. There will be no debate on it now with the Supreme Court’s stamp.”
When asked whether he was given any cue that Article 370 will be revoked at the time he was made the Governor of J&K, Malik said he wasn’t told any such thing. “But I had an idea that they will revoke it but because their election manifestos used to mention the same, I had suspected that they might revoke it during my tenure,” he said.
In his interview with The Wire, he said that he had no information that such a decision is being made. Ironically, in a conversation with Rahul Gandhi in October, Malik had said that Article 370 did not hurt the people of J&K as much as making J&K a Union Territory has.
In the latest interview, Malik said that PM Modi’s brief when he was made Governor was “no poliking, development and reach out”.
After claiming the credit, Malik parroted the achievements that the Centre has been listing since the abrogation of Article 370. He was, however, quick to criticise the Centre when the anchor tried to downplay the development done in J&K.
Malik said, “You are right that the development that should have happened has not happened. But until the Centre is interested, it will not happen. They should set up industries. Although AIIMS and such have been developed but nothing significant has been done in the area of industrial development.”
He reminisced his days as Governor and when asked about the premature end to his tenure, Malik said that there was no political reason behind the same. “Since statehood was withdrawn and J&K was made a UT, my post would have to be downgraded to Leitenant Governor which I was not ready for,” Malik said.
Again, in his conversation with Rahul Gandhi in October, Malik was rather critical about just how many times he was transferred by the Central government. “Meghlaya was my punishment posting after Goa,” he said with a smirk adding that he was transferred five times like a bureaucrat.
Continuing the streak of credit-claiming with “The Red Mike”, Malik said that the people of Kashmir had understood the message of peace he had given to them which, he implied, is why peace prevailed in the valley even after the abrogation.
When asked if he thinks the situation would have been better today had he decided to stay in J&K (as L-G), Malik said, “100 per cent it would have been better because I never gave them a chance to complain.”
He further said that all other parties except for the BJP will be able to do well in the elections which the SC has directed to be held before 30 September 2024.
Malik also said that Delhi (Central government) did injustice to the people of Kashmir by removing their elected representatives like Yasin Malik, who is a convicted terrorist and serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail for terror funding in Kashmir.
Malik accused the Centre of tampering with the election results of terrorist Yasin Malik. He went on to say that he was not provided any security during and after SC’s verdict because the government wants him dead to prevent him from speaking.
When milked by the anchor that the government does not credit him with the abrogation of Article 370, Malik said that the people give him credit wherever he goes.