Malik says no terrorist could enter within 50-100 km range of Srinagar when he was governor

Satyapal Malik served as the Jammu and Kashmir governor from August 2018 to October 2019 before the state was bifurcated into two union territories.

Meghalaya governor Satyapal Malik has stoked a fresh controversy by commenting on the farmer agitation and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) following targeted killings of minorities and migrant workers. “During my tenure as governor of Jammu and Kashmir, no terrorists could enter within the 50-100 km range of Srinagar. But now, terrorists are killing poor people in Srinagar. This is really saddening,” news agency ANI quoted Malik, who is known for unfettered speeches, as saying.

Satyapal Malik was also quoted saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not do well in election-bound states if the demands of farmers were not addressed. (PTI Photo/File)

He was also quoted saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not do well in election-bound states if the demands of farmers are not addressed.

BJP leaders declined to comment on Malik’s remarks and dodged queries over them.

Malik served as the J&K governor from August 2018 to October 2019 before the state was bifurcated into two union territories. During his stint as the J&K governor, Malik was in the eye of a storm in 2018 when he claimed he did not receive People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti’s fax staking claim to form the government as his fax machine was not working. The PDP made a pitch to form government after the coalition government it ran with the BJP collapsed.

Speaking to reporters in Rajasthan on Sunday, Malik said the issue of securing Minimum Support Price through legislation should be resolved. Last month, Malik criticised Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for action against the protesting farmers in Karnal. Malik also raised the issue of casualties and the non-payment of compensation. He was quoted to have said that 600 farmers have died during nationwide protests against three farm laws enacted last year. Malik said no one from the government spoke even a word about compensation.