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After ‘problematic’ J-K, Satya Pal Malik hopes for ‘peaceful’ stint as Goa guv
As the governor in J&K, Malik also had a tenure which included an extended period of President’s Rule and gave his assent on behalf of the assembly for the abrogation of Article 370 which gave the former state its special status.
Newly-sworn in Governor of Goa Satya Pal Malik said on Sunday he hoped his term in the coastal state will be more ‘peaceful’ and a departure from his previous ‘problematic’ stint in Jammu and Kashmir.
Malik was speaking at Raj Bhavan after he was sworn in as the Governor of Goa by Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Pradeep Nandrajog. He takes over from Mridula Sinha.
“I have come from Kashmir, which is known to be a very problematic place. I have successfully handled all the issues there,” Malik, who oversaw the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir as its governor, said.
Watch | Ex-J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik takes oath as Goa Governor
“Now it (Goa) is a peaceful and good place which has been progressing. And the leadership here is non-controversial. They are doing work very well… So, I feel that I will be spending a much peaceful and relaxed time here,” Malik said.
As the governor in J&K, Malik also had a tenure which included an extended period of President’s Rule and gave his assent on behalf of the assembly for the abrogation of Article 370 which gave the former state its special status.
Earlier, the opposition Congress had hoped that Malik, unlike his predecessor, would follow the principles of the Constitution.
“His background indicates that he comes from various socialist movements and he does not have a strong RSS background as such. We hope that the Constitution will be his guiding light rather than the party’s diktat,” the president of Congress’ Goa unit Girish Chodankar said.
Malik’s predecessor Sinha had invited Manohar Parrikar to form the government in 2017 despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning only 13 seats at the elections even though the Congress had emerged the single largest party.
Sinha had also rebuffed several attempts of the Congress which staked claim to form the government on several occasions as the BJP government teetered owing to Parrikar’s illness.
Malik entered politics in 1965 inspired by the socialist ideology of Ram Manohar Lohia. After a lengthy political career that involved stints in the Bharatiya Kranti Dal, the Indian National Congress, Lok Dal and Janata Dal, he joined the BJP in 2003.
He was appointed as the Governor of Bihar in 2017 with additional charge as the governor of Orissa. He took oath as the J-K’s governor on August 23, 2018.
