Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday said he will neither join active politics nor contest elections after his retirement from the current post, putting an end to speculations that he would be joining the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Malik, whose term as the governor of the northeastern state will end on Friday, however, said he would work for the welfare of farmers and support them as and when required.
There were speculations of Malik joining the RLD after he gave his nod to participate in a ‘Kisan Sammelan’ (farmers’ gathering) in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district on October 3 along with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary.
“The proposed Shamli meeting has been cancelled in view of Section 144 [of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)] imposed in the district,” Malik told HT over phone.
“I will not join any political party or contest elections after my retirement as governor,” he replied when asked about speculations of him joining politics.
He said RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary had approached him, seeking his permission to share the dais with him. “I permitted him because the Shamli meeting was supposed to be a non-political one convened for the sake of farmers,” he said.
Malik further said that even Samajwadi Party leader Harendra Malik and Kiranpal Singh had approached him to join them for a similar event in Bulandshahr and got his permission because it had nothing to do with any political party. “I will attend farmers’ gatherings in Aligarh (October 2) and in Bulandshahr (October 8) as per the schedule.”
{{/usCountry}}Malik further said that even Samajwadi Party leader Harendra Malik and Kiranpal Singh had approached him to join them for a similar event in Bulandshahr and got his permission because it had nothing to do with any political party. “I will attend farmers’ gatherings in Aligarh (October 2) and in Bulandshahr (October 8) as per the schedule.”
{{/usCountry}}Malik was in news not too long ago for supporting the farmers agitating against the Centre’s now-repealed three agricultural laws putting the Union government in the dock despite occupying the governor’s office. Malik was appointed the governor of Bihar on September 30, 2017. He was then sent to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018 and later to Meghalaya in 2020.
RLD spokesperson Sunil Rohta said Malik holds a constitutional post and it was not appropriate to violate Section 144 and so the organisers decided to cancel the event. “The ‘Kisan Sammelan’ will be organised on some other day, after Malik’s retirement as governor,” Rohta added.