Hooda, Selja, Surjewala condole Satyapal Malik's demise

Chandigarh: Senior Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday expressed condolences over the demise of former J-K governor Satyapal Malik. Malik died on Tuesday at a hospital in Delhi after a prolonged illness, his personal staff said. He was 79. Selja, the Sirsa MP and former Union minister, said Malik was always one to speak clearly and fearlessly on issues related to farmers and the common people. The three Congress leaders posted on X in Hindi expressing their condolences over Malik's death. "The news of the passing of senior leader and former governor Satyapal Malik Ji has been received. I offer heartfelt tributes to the departed noble soul. I pray to God to grant strength to the grieving family to bear this unbearable pain," former Haryana chief minister Hooda said. Selja, while condoling Malik's demise, said "he was always one to speak clearly and fearlessly on issues related to farmers and the common people. His forthrightness and commitment to public welfare will always be remembered". "May God grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this grief," she said in a post on X.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the news of Malik's demise is extremely saddening. He said Malik was the voice of the farmers and had the courage to question the government while being in power. His fearless personality will always be remembered. "May God grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet and give strength to his supporters and family to bear this shock," Surjewala said in his post. Malik, who had also held the positions of governor of Goa, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Odisha, besides being a member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in his long political career, died at 1.12 pm at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital here. He was in the ICU of the hospital for a long time, getting treatment for various ailments, the staff said. In his gubernatorial role at Jammu and Kashmir, Malik oversaw the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. Coincidentally, he took his last breath on the sixth anniversary of the Centre's move.