I Apologise, But My Personal Feeling is Same: Satya Pal Malik on His Bizarre ‘Advice’ to Terrorists

Satya Pal Malik had stirred controversy with his comment over corruption in Kashmir and asking terrorists to gun down those who looted their state.

New Delhi: A day after facing flak over his bizarre ‘advice’ to terrorists, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik made a public apology and stated, “As Governor, I should have not made such a comment, but my personal feeling is the same as I said.”

Speaking to ANI, Malik said that his statement was made “in a fit of anger and frustration”. However, not deferring from what he said earlier, he added, “Many political leaders and big bureaucrats are steeped in corruption here.”

When asked about the former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’stweet over his comment, he said, “He is a political juvenile tweeting on everything, see the reaction to his tweets and you will find out.”

Malik had courted a controversy while speaking at the Inauguration function of Kargil Ladakh tourism festival at Khree Sultan Choo stadium in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

“Yeh ladke jo bandook liye fizool mein apne logon ko maar rahe hain, PSOs (Personal Security Officer), SPOs (Special Police Officers) ko maarte hain. Kyun maar rahe ho inko? Unhe maaro jinhone tumhara mulk loota hai,jinhone Kashmir ki saari daulat looti hai. (These youth with guns, they are killing their own people, they are killing PSOs and SPOs for no reason. Why are you killing them? Kill those who have looted your country and the wealth of Kashmir. Have you killed any of them? Nothing will be achieved by this)” he had said at the tourism function.

Reacting to his statement, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had slammed the governor saying that he should be careful of his own reputation.

“Save this tweet – after today any mainstream politician or serving/retired bureaucrat in Jammu and Kashmir has been murdered in the express orders of the Governor of J and K Satyapal Malik,” Abdullah had tweeted.

Malik, who was recently appointed as the governor of the state, has often faced criticism for accusing political leaders of ‘rampant corruption’. Nevertheless, he also expressed his satisfaction over Kashmir’s change in the ground situation saying that people are finally talking of peace.

“It is for the first time in 30 years that there was no strike on the visit of the country’s Home Minister to Kashmir,” Malik had said referring to the recent visit of Amit Shah to the Valley.