Former Governor of Jammu Kashmir has sent shockwaves across the country with his latest interview with Wire’s Karan Thapar. In the interview of over one hour, Satyapal Malik has made shocking revelations on Pulwama attack, abrogation of Article 370 and on PM Modi.
Satyapal Malik said that being the Governor of Jammu Kashmir back then he admits that Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019 was a major security lapse. “The CRPF had sought planes to travel to and fro Kashmir valley as we had prior inputs on a major attack, however, the Union Home Ministry had rejected providing planes for CRPF. Had the planes been provided, fourty precious lives could have been saved,” Satyapal Malik told Karan Thapar.
Detailing further he said that Pulwama attack, he said that the attacker was driving around with the explosive laden vehicle around the streets of Pulwama for at least ten days. “He was not detected, nor intercepted. It was not only a major security lapse but a complete failure of the system,” the former Governor said.
When he called PM Modi after the Pulwama attack, the “PM was busy in his shooting at Corbett Park”, Satyapal Malik said. When Malik informed the PM on the denial of planes to the security personnel, Ajit Doval and PM Modi asked me to remain silent over the issue. “I knew that now the onus will go to Pakistan, when it was equally our failure. The truth was hidden from the people of India for electoral gains,” he claimed.
On the abrogation of Article 370, Satyapal Malik said that the PM had asked him during several meeting how would people respond if any major decision is taken regarding Kashmir. “I assured that not even a dog will bark in Kashmir. We had done our ground work. I had created a sense of fatigue in people. Though I suspected that they will remove the special status of Jammu Kashmir, but I was not informed about it. On 4th August, 2019 I got a call from HM Amit Shah asking me to get the bill regarding the Article abrogation cleared from my cabinet,” he said.
The former Jammu Kashmir Governor said that demoting the state to a union territory was made over the apprehensions of a revolt within the Jammu Kashmir Police. “I had told them that nothing of that sort was going to happen. Not even a bird will move, however, the mistakenly removed the statehood,” Malik told The Wire.
On the dissolving of Jammu Kashmir assembly, Satyapal Malik failed to answer the questions from Karan Thapar, when Thapar asked the former Governor that why did he not give an extension when Mehbooba Mufti had expressed her willingness to form the Government. “The fax machine was not working. It was a holiday. My cook was also on a holiday and I never received any fax,” he said.
After the abrogation of article 370, he got two projects one from Reliance and one a Hydel Project, both were flawed projects, he said. “One of projects were headed by Haseeb Drabu and the other by Ambani- both good friends of PM Modi. There were 150 crore rupees involved in the projects but the projects were flawed, so I rejected both of them,” he said.
PM Modi had asked me several time to meet “his friend” Haseeb Drabu. Haseeb, the former chairman of Jammu Kashmir Bank was also the finance Minister of Mehbooba Mufti led Government. “When I rejected the projects, Ram Madhav who was the general secretary of BJP then came to my house in a dejected mood and Drabu told me that I had rejected the project, however, he will get it passed. The reliance project was rejected, however, the one Drabu was involved in got passed somehow,” Satyapal Malik claimed.
“He is ill informed and ignorant on Kashmir. His understanding of Kashmir is very low. He has a ‘to hell with it’ approach,” Malik said when asked of his opinion about PM Modi. He claimed that he received several calls from PMO, Jitendra Singh, who is a BJP MP from Udhampur who often called him for corruption. “I complained to PM Modi several times about him, however, no action was taken against him. During my tenure as Goa Governor, I made another complaint to him (PM Modi), however, within a night I was removed as Goa’s Governor. He does not hate corruption at all,” Satyapal Malik said.