Satya Pal Malik: A chequered career of conviction, contradiction & controversy
Once a trusted aide of PM Modi—holding gubernatorial posts in Bihar, J&K, Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya—Malik's final years were defined by his outspoken dissent. He criticised the government over the handling of the 2019 Pulwama attack, the farmers' protest, and alleged corruption during his tenure as J&K Governor.
Later, the CBI chargesheeted him in a bribery case linked to Rs 2,200 crore Kiru hydropower project in Kashmir.
Malik's journey was as eventful as it was ideologically fluid. Born in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, into a Jat family, his political roots were in socialist movements. He began as a student leader and was elected MLA in 1974 on the Bharatiya Kranti Dal ticket led by Chaudhary Charan Singh.
In 1980, he entered the Rajya Sabha as a Lok Dal member. By 1984, he had joined the Congress, which re-nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 1986. He later aligned with Janata Dal and served as Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh.
Despite his many political shifts, Malik remained a forceful voice on agrarian and regional issues, often taking on the powers that be. His political rise peaked when the Modi government appointed him as Bihar governor in 2017, later entrusting him with the politically sensitive state of Jammu & Kashmir in August 2018.
His tenure in J&K was both historic and controversial. Malik was governor during the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Coincidentally, he died on the sixth anniversary of that move.
He was also in office during the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. Later, Malik accused the Centre of suppressing facts about lapses leading to the attack, including the denial of aircraft for troop movement. He claimed he was told to 'stay silent'.
Malik's long career was marked by conviction, contradiction, and controversy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
a minute ago
- India.com
Trump's Tariffs, Xi's Handshake And Putin's Pipeline – What PM Modi Hopes To Gain At SCO Summit In China
New Delhi: With Washington's tariff hammer falling hard and regional diplomacy entering a turbulent stretch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It will mark his first visit to the country since the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in the northern port city of Tianjin, the visit comes at a delicate moment. Not only is India navigating fallout from stiff new trade duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, but it is also facing scrutiny over its oil imports from Russia. Modi's presence at the SCO summit is being seen by many as an attempt to recalibrate India's strategic posture, especially as tensions with the West rise and ties with Beijing show signs of cautious repair. This is the prime minister's first trip to China in five years. While he last set foot on Chinese soil in 2019, he did meet President Xi Jinping briefly during the BRICS summit held in Kazan in October 2024. That interaction helped ease the freeze in high-level dialogue and set the stage for ongoing border talks. It also helped the reopening of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, a symbolic step toward thawing relations. But trust remains fragile. India's decision to attend the SCO summit also comes just weeks after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement at a key SCO defence meet. The reason was omission of any mention of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 dead, in the statement. Instead, the final document inserted a reference to Balochistan that was widely seen as a move pushed by Pakistan to paint India as a regional destabiliser. The omission did not go unnoticed in New Delhi. According to Indian officials, the document appeared tilted, with no acknowledgment of the human cost of the Pahalgam killings. However, in a surprise move the following month, China issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack. It came after the United States officially designated The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, as a foreign terrorist organisation. Beijing's reaction reflected a shift in tone, even if not in alignment. 'China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22... China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability,' said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in a statement that caught diplomatic watchers off guard. Against this backdrop, PM Modi's China visit could carry more weight than just optics. Talks at the SCO will include 10 member countries: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The agenda includes counterterrorism, regional security and trade. With the United States hiking tariff pressure, there is growing speculation that New Delhi may be rebalancing (less reliant on the West and more open to multilateral blocs with Beijing and Moscow in the room). There is also the likelihood of side meetings between Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding geopolitical heft to the summit. Founded in 2001, the SCO has evolved from a regional security bloc to a broader platform for economic and strategic cooperation. But this year's gathering comes with unusual undertones: a terror attack still unresolved, trade wars intensifying and major powers reshuffling their alliances. For India, more than being a summit, the SCO is a test of how far it can stretch its strategic space between a China that shares a tense border, a Russia that supplies its oil and a United States that is tightening the screws on both.
Indian Express
a minute ago
- Indian Express
IAS officials appointments to oversee five Jyotirlinga development plans
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday appointed five senior IAS officers to monitor and oversee the implementation of development plans for five major Jyotirling pilgrimage sites of the state. According to officials, the appointments were made as per the directions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the move is aimed at ensuring time-bound and high-quality execution of the Jyotirlinga development projects at Bhimashankar (Pune), Grishneshwar (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Trimbakeshwar (Nashik), Aundha Nagnath (Hingoli), and Parli Vaijnath (Beed). Each officer will oversee progress and report directly to the Chief Minister's Office. These Jyotirling temples are among the twelve most revered Shaivite shrines in India and attract lakhs of pilgrims annually. The state had earlier approved development master plans for each site through a high-level committee and followed by formal government resolutions allocating funds for it. 'This is the first time senior officers have been designated for direct oversight of religious infrastructure projects at this level. The aim is for coordinated, efficient, and transparent execution,' a senior official from the CMO said. The state government has already allocated funds for the development of these sites. Rs 148.37 crore has been allocated for Bhimashankar, Rs 156.63 crore for Grishneshwar, Rs 275 crore for Trimbakeshwar, Rs 15.21 crore for Aundha Nagnath, and Rs 286.68 crore for Parli Vaijnath in Beed.
Time of India
a minute ago
- Time of India
Putin's 'Skyfall' Nuclear Missile Ready To Bomb? Trump's 'Nuke Sniffer' Scans Russian Bases
PM Modi To Visit China For The First Time Since Galwan, Timed with Trump's Aggressive Tariff War As global trade trembles under Donald Trump's latest tariff threats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for a high-stakes visit to China for the SCO Summit in Tianjin (Aug 31–Sep 1). This marks Modi's first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan clash, making it a crucial moment in India-China relations. But the backdrop has changed, Trump's aggressive tariff policies are threatening global supply chains, forcing major Asian powers, including India and China, to recalibrate. With possible meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the sidelines, Modi must balance border tensions, regional security, and now a potential global trade crisis. Will Trump's economic aggression push India and China toward a new understanding? Or deepen the divide? As India walks a tightrope, this visit may redefine regional alliances and global diplomacy.#pmmodi #xijinping #india #china #modinchina #scosummit2025 #galwanvalley #indiavschina #putin #borderdispute #indiandiplomacy #chinavisit #sco2025 #modivisit #geopolitics #regionalsecurity #indiaforeignpolicy #breakingnews #trending #trendingnow #toi #bharat #toibharat #indianews 10.9K views | 7 hours ago
