NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Meghalaya Governor, Satya Pal Malik who had created a stir for his comments on farmers’ agitation and Kashmir leaders, alleged on Thursday that the RSS and Ambanis tried to bribe him to pass two questionable multi-crore rupees deals when he was Governor of undivided Jammu and Kashmir.
But at the same time, Malik, a socialist leader, lauded Narendra Modi who supported him to the hilt. He claimed in a statement that the Prime Minister had told him categorically that there can be no compromise on corruption in J&K after which he had cancelled deals.
The deals were worth crores involving Ambani and a senior RSS functionary in which he was offered Rs 300 crore as bribe alone. Malik was addressing a function at Jat Foundation Society, Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan where he revealed such sensitive internal matters, media reports said.
Two files came before me in Jammu and Kashmir. One of them pertained to Ambani and another to a senior RSS functionary, Malik said adding a former minister of Mehbooba Mufti Government was also involved in the fraud decals. “One of the Secretaries told me that I can get Rs 150 crore each in the two contracts which I rejected and also cancelled the deals,” he said.
Malik said that he then approached the Prime Minister and briefed him about the “fraud deals” and that some of them were using his name as well. “The Prime Minister clearly told me that there can be no compromise on corruption,” he said, adding he was categorical that he won’t allow such deals till he stays in Jammu and Kashmir or else he will quit.
Claiming that as against 4-5 per cent under the table commission in the rest of the country, Malik said that rate of commission was fixed as 15 per cent in Kashmir. However, he asserted that no major scam or corruption took place in Jammu and Kashmir during his tenure as the Governor.
Malik described former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah (of the National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (of PDP) — as beneficiaries of the Roshni Land Scheme. He also lauded a female Judge for handing over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).
Malik also created ripples when he said that because of his clean record he was openly supporting the cause of farmers as otherwise the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department would have been raiding his house.
Incidentally, Mehbooba has denied the allegations and threatened to sue Malik in the court of law if he doesn’t withdraw his remarks against her.