Mumbai, April 15: Satya Pal Malik, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, is back in the headlines, this time with some shocking revelations and truth bombs revolving around PM Narendra Modi, his concerns regarding Jammu and Kashmir and the ever-haunting Pulwama Terror Attack. In an interview with Karan Thapar from The Wire, the ex-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir said “Main safely keh sakta hoon Prime Minister ko corruption se bahut nafrat nahin hain” (‘I can safely say the PM has no real problem with corruption’).

Malik was the Governor of the J&K when the historic abrogation of Article 370 which reduced it to Union territory status in 2019, and the Pulwama massacre took place. Malik further went on to call PM Modi "ignorant" and "ill-informed." He said removing J&K's statehood was a mistake and should be undone once. Satya Pal Malik Interview: Congress Slams PM Narendra Modi Over Pulwama Attack After Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Said Home Ministry Had Refused Aircraft for CRPF Convoy (Video).

Satya Pal Malik Interview:

When Malik, as governor, reported that the blame for the Pulwama terrorist attack lay on the Centre’s own lapses, PM Modi reported hushed him up by saying “Tum abhi chup raho”. The 76-year-old further alleged that “incompetence” and “negligence” by the Indian system and specifically the CRPF and the home ministry led to the harrowing attack on the Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama. Malik said that when he informed PM Modi about this over a phone call, he was told to keep quiet. Pulwama Attack Anniversary 2023: When and How Did the Terror Strike Happen? How Many Soldiers Were Martyred? From List of Martyrs To Other Key Details, Here's Everything You Need To Know.

Malik, in the interview, said that after getting bottled down by Ajit Doval on the same, he realised that it was BJP's game plan to put blame on Pakistan and derive electoral benefit. Malik stated that there was grave intelligence failure in the Pulwama incident because the car carrying 300 kilograms of RDX explosives had come from Pakistan but was travelling around the roads and villages of Jammu and Kashmir for 10-15 days without being caught. In February 2019, 40 CRPF personnel were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into the bus carrying the security men in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.

Malik also shed light on when he was approached by the BJP-RSS leader Ram Madhav to clear a hydroelectric scheme and a Reliance insurance scheme. However, he refused to pass the approvals saying he won’t do a wrong thing. He was reportedly told if he passed these schemes, they reward him with Rs 300 crores.

The opposition has picked up Malik's "Mein safely keh sakta hoon Prime Minister ko corruption se bahut nafrat nahin hain,” remark to attack Modi. But, Malik stands by his words saying he was removed as governor of Goa in August 2020 and sent to Meghalaya because he had brought to the prime minister’s attention several instances of corruption which the government chose to ignore rather than tackle. He also said people affiliated with the PMO take unnecessary benefits and indulge in corruption.

Malik alleged that all the appointments granted by President Droupadi Murmu are, in fact, vetted by the PMO. He accused the government of appointing ‘third rate people’ as governors.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 15, 2023 04:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).