BJP refuses to respond to Satyapal Malik’s remarks

In view of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the party has maintained studied silence

Satyapal Malik. File

The BJP on Monday maintained a studied silence on the latest remarks by Meghalaya Governor Satyapal Malik wherein he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi behaved arrogantly whenever he (Mr. Malik) had raised the issue of the three controversial farm laws and repealing them .

At a function in Haryana on Sunday, Mr Malik had said that Prime Minister Modi reacted arrogantly to the former’s suggestions that the farm laws be taken back and sensitivity shown with regard to farmers who had lost their lives during the protest movement.

This is not the first time Mr. Malik has made statements that have hurt the image of the party, but likely the first time he has named Mr. Modi directly . However, BJP leaders have refused to respond to the comments and the message down the line seemed to be not to react in any way to the Meghalaya Governor’s remarks.

Party leaders, not wishing to quoted, did, however, say that Mr. Malik, who hails from western Uttar Pradesh was probably looking at a political role in the upcoming Assembly polls in the State, not necessarily on behalf of the BJP.

“He is, however, a constitutional office holder and cannot intervene directly in the politics of the region. Therefore, as such we are not saying anything. The high command also wants to wait this out,” said a senior office bearer of the party.

The idea behind the wait and watch attitude seems to be to sit out the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and not take any action, verbal or official on Mr. Malik.

During the last Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Mr. Malik was one of the party leaders on whom the BJP had relied to communicate with the Jat community in western region of the State when there appeared to be resentment brewing on the question of reservations for the community.

Mr. Malik was Governor of Jammu and Kashmir during the immediate aftermath of the reading down of Article 370 in August 2019. He was later transferred to Goa and then appointed Governor of Meghalaya.

The studied silence of the BJP and the government seems to be based on a calculation related to the Uttar Pradesh polls and unless the BJP reacts to the direct jibe on Prime Minister Modi made by Mr Malik before the polls conclude, any action seems to be postponed for when the polls are over.