Row erupts after Satya Pal Malik calls Modi ‘arrogant’; Cong seeks PM’s apology

 Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik has triggered a massive row after making startling claims against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah over farmers’ issues, remarks that he later clarified but stopped short of retracting. It has created a political storm with the opposition Congress on Monday demanding clarification from Modi and Shah.

Malik, who has been publicly criticising the Union government over the farmers’ issue, claimed that Modi showed “arrogance” when he met him recently over deaths of farmers during their year-long agitations.

Addressing a function in Haryana, Malik was caught on camera saying, “When I went to meet the Prime Minister to discuss the farmer issue, I ended up fighting with him within five minutes. He was very arrogant. When I told him that 500 of our own (farmers) had died… he said, ‘Did they die for me?’ I told him yes, since you are the king. I ended up having an argument with him. He told me to meet Amit Shah and I did.”

Malik added, “When I met Amit Shah, he said ‘Satya Pal, he (PM Modi) has lost his mind. You be carefree and keep meeting us’.”

When contacted by HT on Monday, Malik, however, said, “I didn’t say the PM was arrogant; he was just adamant about his position.” He also clarified that the home minister did not speak ill of Modi and told him that people are telling Modi all kinds of things and so he must meet and give him the right picture.

Meanwhile, the Congress was quick to corner the government on Malik’s remarks. “The real face of PM Modi, the anti-farmer face of PM Modi, the insensitive face of PM Modi, the face of Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi government, which actually truly works for crony capitalist friends and to the peril and prejudice of India’s 62 crore farmers and farm labourers now stands exposed,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala while briefing the media.

Surjewala asked the Union government to sack and register an FIR against Malik if he was lying. “If not, then PM Modi and Amit Shah must come forward and apologise. Otherwise, they (farmers) will never pardon you, nor will the souls of 700 farmers who sacrificed their lives,” he added.

Sharing the video of Malik addressing the function, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted, “Constitutional authorities speaking about each other with such contempt!”

HT cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.

The BJP has not reacted to the governor’s comment and there was no response to HT’s queries by the party’s spokespersons.