Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir Friday criticised Governor Satya Pal Malik for his remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying he was misusing his position to “please his boss”.
“Malik is misusing his position as State Governor inorder to please his boss by joining the vilification campaign against RajivGandhi who was martyred for the nation,” Mir said in a statement.
The Governor on Thursday told reporters here that RajivGandhi was not initially corrupt but, under the influence of some people, hegot involved in the Bofors corruption case.
Reacting to the comments, Mir said: “Malik has joinedthe vilification campaign of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leastcaring for his position as Governor, which prohibits him from indulging in thiskind of malicious campaign against the former Prime Minister who is no more andlaid down his life for the nation”.
The JKPCC chief said the Governor is also aware of the factthat nothing could be established against Rajiv Gandhi after the long-drawnlegal battle spreading over more than three decades.
“As constitutional head of the state, Malik cannotcomment at his own convenience and whims in a highly irresponsible andobjectional manner while holding the position of the Governor. He has loweredthe dignity of his office. It is not his domain so long he holds this augustposition,” Mir said.
He said after the Bofors controversy, several non-Congressgovernments came into power in the country, including five years of Atal BihariVajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and five years ofthe Modi-led government, but nothing could be established despite all sorts ofefforts to drag Rajiv Gandhi’s name into the matter.
“It is very unfortunate that Modi as prime minister isindulging in malicious vilification campaign when asked to explain the Rafaledeal. He has got unnerved over continuous efforts of Congress president RahulGandhi to expose the biggest ever defence scam in the country,” heclaimed.
Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh last Saturday targetedCongress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying, “Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) wastermed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘bhrashtachari’ no 1(corrupt number 1).”Besides, in a sensational charge, Modi onWednesday accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as its”personal taxi” when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister.