Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik has urged the government to meet the demands of the protesting farmers, warning that if it doesn’t do so, it will not be able to return to power.
“If the demands of the farmers are not met, then this government won’t return to power,” he said while speaking to local reporters on the sidelines of an event in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district.
Malik also alleged that BJP leaders were not allowed to enter several villages of election-bound Uttar Pradesh now. “I am from Meerut. In my area, no BJP leader can enter any village. In Meerut, in Muzzafarnagar, in Baghpat, they can’t enter,” he told reporters.
Asked if he would relinquish his post to stand with farmers, Malik said that he is standing with farmers and while there was no need to relinquish his post at present, he would do that too if needed.
Malik, a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, said that he has fought with several people over the issue of farmers’ protests. “For them, I have quarrelled with the Prime Minister, Home Minister, everyone. I have told everyone that you are doing wrong, don’t do this,” he said. “Here, if the government legally guarantees MSP, then this will be resolved. The farmers can leave the issue of the three bills because the Supreme Court has put it on hold. There is only one thing, you are not even doing that. Why… without MSP nothing will happen,” said Malik.
He also emphasised that if the government asks him, he is willing to mediate between the Centre and the farmers. “There is one thing, which will resolve this. You guarantee MSP, I will convince farmers that the three laws are on hold, leave it now.”
Reacting to the recent spate of civilian killings by militants in Jammu and Kashmir, Malik has said that when he was the governor of the erstwhile state, “terrorists didn’t dare to enter within a radius of 50 kilometres of Srinagar.”