NEW DELHI, Jan 3: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik has resumed his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “very arrogant”.
Malik said he went to meet Modi to discuss the farmers’ issue recently and ended up fighting with him. “He was very arrogant within five minutes of the meeting,” he said while addressing a function at Charkhi Dadri in Haryana on Sunday.
“He was very arrogant. When I told him that 500 of our own farmers had died, he asked, ‘Did they die for me?’” the Governor said.
“I told him yes since you are the king. Anyway, I ended up having a fight with him. He told me to meet Amit Shah and so I did,” he added.
Malik chided Modi further and said when a dog dies, the PM sends letters to offer condolences.
The Meghalaya Governor has been taking swipes at the Centre and the BJP leadership and has time and again reiterated that he is not scared of being asked to step down from his post.
Malik on Sunday said the Centre will have to work with honesty to withdraw cases registered against farmers during the protest against the farm laws.
“But if the Centre thinks the agitation has ended, it is not so. It has only been suspended. If there is injustice or if there are any excesses with farmers, the stir will start again,” he said.
The Governor, however, clarified on Monday that Shah respects Modi a lot. “He (Shah) told me that people misguide the Prime Minister. One day the PM will understand this (the farmers’ contention with the three farm laws), I was told,” Malik said.
“I want to clarify that Shah did not say anything about the Prime Minister with ill intent. He only told me that my concerns will be understood,” he added.
The Governor is on record saying the PM was “arrogant” on the issue of farmers and that Shah had called the PM “mad”.
Cong targets PM
The Congress on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik’s allegation that he was ‘arrogant’ on the farmers’ issue and demanded an unconditionally apology if it was true.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Prime Minister should come forward and tell the truth to the nation, and sack the Governor, if he is not telling the truth.
The entire nation is shocked with the text of conversation between BJP-appointed Governor Malik and the Prime Minister on the farmers’ agitation, he said.
“If Governor Malik is lying, he should be sacked and an FIR should be registered against him. But if he is not lying, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must come forward and apologise to India’s toiling farmers and farm labourers. Otherwise, they will never pardon them,” the Congress chief spokesperson told reporters.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked Modi whether Malik’s remarks were true. Kharge also shared a video clip on Twitter of Malik from a function at Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri, where he is saying that the Prime Minister was ‘arrogant’ when he went to meet him on the issue of farmers and had a fight with him within five minutes.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, “This man was their hatchet man in J&K now he bites that hand that fed him. The people of J&K can certify the untrustworthiness of Mr Malik.”
Reacting to Malik’s allegation, Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said, “I don’t think Shah can use such language for the Prime Minister.” (PTI)