New Delhi: When Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik went to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the farmers’ issue recently, he says he ended up fighting with the PM, who was “very arrogant”, within five minutes into the conversation.
Mr Malik, while addressing a function in Haryana Sunday, said, “He (the PM) was very arrogant. When I told him that 500 of our own farmers had died, he asked, ‘Did they die for me?'”
“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,” the Governor said, adding that when a dog dies, the PM sends letters to offer condolences.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge shared a video of the statement on Twitter, in which Mr Malik can also be heard saying, “When I met Amit Shah, he told me ‘Satya, he has lost his mind. You be carefree and keep meeting us’.” Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly referring to PM Modi, according to Mr Malik.
Mr Kharge on Twitter wrote, “Meghalaya’s Governor Sri Satya Pal Malik is on record saying PM was ‘arrogant’ on the issue of Farmers & HM Amit Shah called the PM as ‘mad’. Constitutional authorities speaking about each other with such contempt! Narendra Modiji is this true?”
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to react to the remarks, the Congress party said Meghalaya Governor’s statement talks about all the “qualities” of PM Modi — “Vanity… cruelty… insensitivity.”
The Congress, while sharing Mr Malik’s video on its official Twitter account, said, “Vanity… cruelty… insensitivity. In BJP Governor’s statement, these ‘qualities’ of PM Modi’s personality are mentioned. This is a matter of concern for a democracy.”
Mr Malik Sunday said the centre will have to work with honesty to withdraw cases registered against farmers during the protests and give a legal framework to MSP for crops.
Taking advantage of the opportunity after the farm laws have been repealed, farmers should get decisions made in their favour such as a legal framework for MSP, Mr Malik said.