Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor and veteran political leader Satyapal Malik passed away in New Delhi on Tuesday at the age of 79, following a prolonged illness.
According to his Personal Secretary KS Rana, Malik breathed his last at 1:10 PM at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the national capital.
A prominent figure in Indian politics, Satyapal Malik served as the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019. His tenure was marked by the historic abrogation of Article 370, which led to the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Malik began his political journey inspired by the socialist ideals of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia. He rose through student politics, serving as the president of Meerut College Students’ Union (1966–67) and later the students’ union of Meerut University (now Chaudhary Charan Singh University) in 1968–69.
He entered electoral politics in 1974, winning the Baghpat Assembly seat on a Bharatiya Kranti Dal ticket. He was later appointed the party’s Chief Whip in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. In 1975, he became the All-India General Secretary of the newly formed Lok Dal and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1980.
After a stint with the Indian National Congress beginning in 1984, Malik was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and served as the General Secretary of the UP Congress Committee. However, the Bofors scandal led to his resignation from both the Congress and the Rajya Sabha in 1987. He subsequently founded the ‘Jan Morcha’, which merged with Janata Dal in 1988, aligning himself with former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh and becoming actively involved in the Jan-Jagran movement.
Elected to the Lok Sabha from Aligarh in 1989, Malik later took a break from active politics but returned in 2004 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He contested the Baghpat Lok Sabha seat and climbed the party ranks, holding key roles such as BJP Kisan Morcha in-charge, BJP’s National Vice President, and shaping the party’s agricultural policies for the 2014 general elections.
In 2017, the Centre appointed him as the Governor of Bihar, followed by his transfer to Jammu and Kashmir in 2018. He played a critical administrative role during the abrogation of Article 370.
Throughout his long and varied political career, Satyapal Malik served as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (1974–77), Rajya Sabha (1980–84, 1986–89), and Lok Sabha (1989–91). He was also Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism in 1990.
Known for his outspoken nature and independent views even in later years, Malik remained a significant voice in national politics.
Further details about his final rites are awaited.
