Satya Pal Malik, Ex-J&K Governor and Fierce Critic of Modi Government, Dies at 79

Satya Pal Malik, former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and a rare voice of dissent from within the establishment, died on Tuesday at the age of 79. He had been undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment at Delhi's RML Hospital and breathed his last in the ICU. His death was confirmed via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

While Malik held high constitutional posts in Goa, Meghalaya, and most notably Jammu & Kashmir, he will be remembered most for his unflinching criticism of the Modi-led Union government in the final years of his life. He repeatedly accused the BJP regime of corruption, misuse of institutions, and vendetta politics - often at great personal cost.

In June 2025, just weeks before his death, Malik alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was trying to frame him in a case related to a ₹2,200 crore tender for the Kiru Hydroelectric Project during his tenure as J&K Governor. In a post on X, he claimed,

"The tender they want to implicate me in was one I personally cancelled. I informed the Prime Minister about the corruption and cancelled it myself. After my transfer, the same tender was approved under someone else's signature."

Malik had previously alleged that he was offered bribes of ₹150 crore as Governor, but turned them down. In his final message, he compared his honesty to that of his political mentor, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and said:

"Even after 50 years in politics, I live in a one-room house and am in debt. If I had wealth, I would be in a private hospital."

The CBI had filed a chargesheet in July naming Malik and seven others in the Kiru project case. But Malik maintained that the move was political retaliation for his outspoken stance against the Prime Minister and his government.

Despite once being close to power, Malik became one of the most vocal critics of the Modi administration from within the political system. He openly challenged the government's handling of issues ranging from corruption to national security and farmer protests, earning both admiration and hostility.

His tenure as J&K Governor (2018-2019) saw the historic abrogation of Article 370 - but it was after leaving office that he truly became a thorn in the government's side.

Malik's mortal remains will be brought to his residence in R K Puram, and his cremation will be held tomorrow at Lodhi crematorium.