E-Paper
'You have shown great courage…He is a coward': Kejriwal to Satya Pal Malik on CBI summons
This is the second time in seven months that Satyapal Malik will be questioned by the CBI.
After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Satyapal Malik in an alleged insurance scam, Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the former Jammu and Kashmir governor has shown great courage in these "times of fear" and the entire country is with him. The central probe agency has summoned Malik as a witness in an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir during his stint as governor, officials familiar with the matter said.
Kejriwal said in a tweet, "The entire country is with you. You have shown great courage in these times of fear, sir. He is a coward, hiding behind CBI. Whenever there was a crisis in this great country, people like you faced it with courage."
"He is illiterate, corrupt and a traitor. He cannot compete with you. You go ahead, sir. Proud of you," the AAP supremo said, without taking any names.
Several reports suggest Malik's original Twitter handle is @SatyapalMalik6, and not the one many politicians, including Kejriwal, were responding to.
Malik said that the agency has called him as they need some “information” and “clarifications”.
“This summon is regarding a scheme that I had raised as some money was involved in it, they are probing that and... that is why the CBI wants some information from me. They want certain clarifications for which they want my presence. I am going to Rajasthan, so I have given them dates from April 27 to 29 when I am available,” he said.
The CBI registered two FIRs in connection with corruption allegations levelled by Malik in awarding of contracts for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth ₹2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in Jammu and Kashmir. The agency has booked Reliance General Insurance and Trinity Re-Insurance Brokers Limited in the case.
Last week, Malik claimed in an interview that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him not to speak of alleged lapses on part of the Ministry of Home Affairs following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019. Malik didn’t provide any material evidence to prove his allegations.
On Friday, the former governor said that summons was not linked to his allegations but added that the Centre was harassing people. “I don’t think it [summons] is because of that [interview] but the central government is indeed harassing people. But I am not afraid of anybody or anyone,” he said.
