Malik says Modi used Pulwama attack for election gain

Shillong, Oct 27: Meghalaya’s 21st Governor Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir when the Pulwama IED blast took place resulting in over a hundred CRPF jawans being killed, has dropped a bombshell claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi used that attack for his election propaganda to return to power.

He also blamed Modi and the BJP for damaging the fabric of unity in the north east and said the peace in Manipur was destroyed by the PM and the BJP.

Congress leader and scion to the Gandhi dynasty, Rahul Gandhi had an in-depth recorded conversation with former Governor Satya Pal Malik and the interview has since gone viral across the country.

As the 10th and last Governor of Jammu and Kashmir before the state was split and stripped of its statehood and turned into a union territory by Modi and his government, Satya Pal Malik was at the helm of affairs in that northern state and clashed frequently with New Delhi.

He was the governor when the Pulwama blast occurred and revealed that when Modi called him up he blamed the centre for failing to prevent that attack. He claims Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, in two separate phone calls, told him to remain silent and not speak to the media.

Satya Pal Malik served as governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019 and the clash of interests with the centre led to his transfer to the southern small state of Goa.

He was shifted from Goa to Meghalaya, in what he says was a punishment posting for raising the issue of corruption in that state. He served as Meghalaya Governor until October 2022 and hailed this state and its people for their simplicity and peace-loving nature.

Excerpts of Malik and Rahul Gandhi discussion

On 2019 Pulwama attack he blamed PM Modi and the central government:

He told Rahul Gandhi that the attack occurred because there was a serious lapse on the part of the government, in this case the central government.

-PM Modi Govt did not provide aircraft for safe passage of convoy:

“Why did the Pulwama incident happen? The CRPF had asked for 5 aircraft and placed that demand with the Home ministry where it was left without any decision. Had they asked me, I would have given them straight away because earlier too I had provided aircraft for students stranded in the snow. It wasn’t difficult to rent an aircraft from Delhi. For four long months the CRPF application requesting for airlifting its troops was left without a decision. And then it was rejected compelling them to travel by road which was highly unsafe.

Modi took advantage of Pulwama attack for political and election gain:

“After the Pulwama incident I had spoken to two channels accepting that it was our fault but soon after I was told to stop speaking to the media. I was given the impression that giving out statements might impact the investigation so I was asked to refrain. But no investigation took place. It was used for the purpose of election. On the third day, PM Modi gave his speech where he used it politically,” Satya Pal Malik said.

Explosives were sent from Pakistan:

“The explosive-laden truck that attacked the CRPF vehicle was roaming in the area for around 10-12 days…the explosives came from Pakistan because to assemble such a huge consignment of bombs locally would have drawn attention of the terrorists to the security agencies. But the driver and owner of the vehicle used in that blast were known for their terror involvement and had been arrested many times. Yet they managed to escape the eyes and radar of intelligence agencies,” said Satya Pal Malik.

Rahul Gandhi was locked inside airport room when he went to pay respects to slain CRPF jawans :

Narrating his side of the experience over the Pulwama incident, Rahul Gandhi said he had gone to the airport on hearing the news and wanted to pay his respects to the martyrs whose bodies were being brought in. “First my security refused to allow me to go to the airport. I went regardless of their opposition. But when I reached there I was taken to a room and locked from outside while the PM had also arrived and made it look like an event. It was distasteful and I had to fight to get out of the room,” recalls Rahul Gandhi.

On Adani-Hindenburg row

–From where did Adani get ₹20,000 crore investment?

Satya Pal Malik questioned from where did the Adani group manage to secure a huge sum of ₹20,000 crore investment and said the same issue was also raised in Parliament by Rahul Gandhi to which the government has so far failed to provide an answer.

-Modi broke farmers MSP promise to help Adani:

Satya Pal Malik told Rahul Gandhi that PM Modi and his government broke its promise to the farmers on the Minimum Support Price or MSP because Gautam Adani’s group had already constructed huge go-downs across Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and other states and planned to purchase crops from farmers at a lower price, stock it up in the godowns and one year later when prices go up sell the produce at a huge profit.

“Next year, the prices of the crops will increase and he (Adani) will sell those. But if MSP was to be implemented, then no farmer would sell his products to them at a cheaper rate. That is why the MSP promise has been broken” Satya Pal Malik said.

On Manipur incident

–Another failure of PM Modi government who disturbed the peace:

In his conversation with Rahul Gandhi, Satya Pal Malik termed the Manipur situation as another failure of the PM Modi government and his chief minister (Biren Singh). Despite the total failure of CM (Biren Singh) he has not been removed even after more than five months of unrest and loss of lives.

‘North East settled tha, inhone (PM Modi and CM Biren Singh govt) disturb kar diya’, (North east was a settled place, they disturbed it)Malik said.

Satya Pal Malik said the government has no control in Manipur. “But it is only for six months. I can give in writing. They will not come back to power,” Satya Pal Malik said.

On Farmers’ Protest and Agniveer

-Satya Pal Malik said that the PM Modi government has finished everything in the country, There is no education, no health services, no employment, Malik told Rahul Gandhi. He further added that the PM Modi government has finished the farmers who protested in 2021. He also said that the government has destroyed the Indian Defense Forces with Agniveer.

PM Modi’s ‘distraction policy’, Women’s Reservation Bill

Rahul Gandhi and Satya Pal Malik said that whenever anybody raises voice against the PM Modi government, the latter engages a ‘gimmick’ to distract the Indian citizen. Satya Pal Malik also remarked that the PM Modi government will ‘never’ implement the women’s bill. He said ‘Ayyegi nahin kabhi wo’

Rahul Gandhi told Malik that PM Modi’s “lies” have been exposed when he claimed his government had cleared the Woman’s Reservation even though everyone knew it would not see implementation for the next ten years or more.

This is because the implementation of a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies, as proposed by the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, can only take place after the delimitation of constituencies, which will be conducted after the next census.

The next census in the country can take place only after the 2024 general elections.

But Malik said that the silver lining in the sky was the fact that people across the country have realised the failures and false promises of Modi and the BJP and are waiting for the day to vote them out of power.

Also Read: Byrnihat tagged as most polluted area in India; Dy CM blames factories on Assam side

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