Rahul Gandhi interviews ex-J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik, discusses Pulwama, Adani

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared an interview he did with former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik. "Interesting discussion on important issues like Pulwama, the farmers' protest, and Agniveer with the Governor, former MP and farmer leader Satyapal Malik!" Rahul Gandhi said while sharing the video on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Gandhi began the interaction with Malik by asking him about his political life and then his opinion on Jammu and Kashmir, which was bifurcated into two Union Territories - J&K and Laddakh - during the latter's tenure as Governor. "Jammu and Kashmir cannot be managed by a force or by an Army," Malik said.

The former Governor said that the statehood of the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be immediately returned. "The abrogation of Article 370 has not hurt them as much as taking away their statehood and making the state a Union Territory," Malik, who served as J&K Governor from August 2018 to October 2019, said.

The former Governor also talked about terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and said, "Terrorists are active in the Valley and a lot of terror-related incidents are happening everywhere."

SATYA PAL MALIK ON PULWAMA

Malik told Gandhi that the government ignored the warnings in Pulwama and that it used the attack for political purposes. "I don't say they did it but they used it for their political gains," Malik said. "There are speeches wherein the leaders are heard saying 'You should remember the sacrifices made in Pulwama when you go to cast your vote'."

Suggesting security lapses, the former Governor said the explosive-laden vehicle, which rammed into the CRPF vehicle killing 40 personnel, had been roaming in the area for nearly 10 days, and there was no one to keep a check. "The driver and the owner of the vehicle had terrorist records. They were arrested and then released several times. But they were not on the radar of the intelligence. The explosives were brought in from Pakistan," Malik said.

Gandhi said as soon as he learned about the attack, he went to the airport to pay his respects to the fallen heroes. "I was locked inside a room. I felt like it was an event. PM Modi was there. I had to fight my way to get out of the room. It was quite distasteful," he said.

Malik on MSP, Adani

During the interaction, Malik also talked about Adani and MSP (Minimum Support Prices) issues. He claimed that the Centre failed to keep its promise on MSP because "Adani built huge godowns, purchased crops at a price". 

"Adani name is now stuck with the government and it is being talked about in every village. People say Adani has all the government money," the former Jammu and Kashmir Governor said. "Next year, their prices will increase and he will sell those. "If MSP is implemented, a farmer won't sell his products to them at a cheaper rate," he added.

Two months after the Centre abrogated Article 370, Malik was shifted to Goa where he served as Governor till August 2020. From August 2020 to October 2022, he was Governor of Meghalaya.