Izhar Ali
Srinagar: In a sensational disclosure, former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik has said that the government feared massive backlash in Kashmir following the abrogation of special status and the fear of the bloodbath was anticipated by a senior official of his administration.
Addressing an International Parliament organized by the Jat community at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Malik unfolded sequence of events that took place a day before the Modi-government scrapped Article-370 and 35A besides bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
“Today, I can safely say that when the topic of abrogating Article 370 came up, I told my Chief Secretary in the evening of August 4 that Article 370 will be removed tomorrow,” Malik told the gathering.
“Sir, we have to kill 1000 people,” Malik quoted CS B V R Subrahmanyam as saying, according to the video of his speech now available on social media.
Malik, who was appointed as Governor of Goa on October 25, adds further that he questioned Chief Secretary why such a need would arise.
“He replied that here 10 people died during Farooq Abdullah’s election, 120 people died after killing of Burhan Wani. He said people will storm Raj Bhawan and that he too will come to Raj Bhavan along with his luggage,” the ex-Governor said.
Malik said that he assured CS not to worry, as he has well understood the emotions of the people after assuming office five months earlier.
“I tried to make them understand that with 250 boys fighting the world’s second-largest force, nothing can be achieved. I told him (CS) whatever is achieved is possible through dialogue only,” Malik said.
“So, I created so much sense of fatigue and I was sure that no one will come on the road,” he added.
Malik told the gathering that they will be amazed to know that three-time Chief Ministers went to Jail and no one came out to release them, nor any slogan was raised.
Malik said he also junked fears of Subrahmanyam over his security. “He (CS) was scared and wanted Kashmir police replaced with CRPF/BSF for my security”.
“I told him that it will be my fate if Kashmir police kills me. I refused the removal of Kashmir police. Because after assuming office, I doubled their martyrdom allowance and hiked their hardship allowance as well. I also took Home Minister Amit Shah to meet the family of a martyred Inspector and got his brother an offer letter by the Home Minister himself. So much I have done for them. And I am content they are with the country,” Malik said.
He said that amid fears and uncertainty in the backdrop of Article 370 revocation, not even a single policeman applied for leave during the Eid festival.
“Everyone was at the (police) line and observed Eid there. I praise Kashmir policeman for standing with the country,” he said.
He said that sense of fatigue persists in Kashmir and the same provides an opportunity to do more development in the Union Territory.
Ruling out that the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir could be taken over with a war because China has made investments there, Malik said that the only way to reclaim that part was through the development of J&K.
“There should be so much development in Kashmir that people from Pak-occupied Kashmir would wish to join us,” he said.
“This is not impossible, we can do it,” he added.
On this occasion, Malik also listed his achievements during his tenure as the Governor of the erstwhile state.
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