NEW DELHI, AUGUST 5 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor and veteran politician Satyapal Malik passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79, following a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 1:12 pm at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, where he had been receiving intensive care for several weeks. His death comes on a date of profound significance, the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, an event that marked a defining chapter of his public service.
A towering presence in Indian politics for over five decades, Malik’s political journey traversed multiple parties, ideologies, and high-profile gubernatorial roles. From his beginnings as a student leader with socialist leanings in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, to his eventual roles as Governor of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, and Meghalaya, Malik’s career bore the markings of adaptability, resilience, and, in later years, principled defiance.
His tenure as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (2018–2019) was arguably the most eventful. He presided over the region during two landmark events—the tragic Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, and the historic revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories. He would be remembered as the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, before it was reorganized under central administration.
Although once a staunch BJP loyalist—having served as a party vice-president and head of its Kisan Morcha, Malik’s post-governorship years saw a sharp pivot. He emerged as a vocal critic of the central government’s policies, speaking out on controversial issues such as the Pulwama attack, which he controversially attributed to security lapses, and the farmers’ protests, where he openly sided with protestors, urging the government to listen to their concerns. His shift from political loyalist to outspoken dissenter earned both admiration and criticism, but never went unnoticed.
His gubernatorial postings outside J&K were not without turbulence. In Goa, he openly criticized the state government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and alleged corruption, leading to a swift transfer to Meghalaya, his final official posting. Even in retirement, Malik remained in the headlines. In May 2025, the CBI named him in a corruption case related to the ₹2,200 crore Kiru Hydropower Project—a charge he fiercely denied from his hospital bed, calling it a “political vendetta”.
Satyapal Malik’s political résumé includes two terms in the Rajya Sabha (1980–1989), a stint as Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism under the VP Singh government, and a Lok Sabha win from Aligarh on a Janata Dal ticket. His ideological journey saw him move across parties—Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Congress, Janata Dal, and BJP—but he remained, till the end, a figure who defied easy categorization.
Known for his earthy wit, unfiltered opinions, and political unpredictability, Malik was more than a conventional politician, he was a man who evolved with the times but held firm to his convictions when it mattered. As the nation remembers his contributions, especially in the context of J&K’s political history, Malik leaves behind a legacy that is complex, consequential, and undeniably bold.