india

Updated: May 10, 2019 05:14 IST

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “corrupt No.1” jibe at Rajiv Gandhi during an election rally.

Why one should not talk about former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi when his son was calling others thief, Malik told reporters after inaugurating a grade separator at tourist reception centre (TRC) road junction in Srinagar.

“If Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru can be mentioned, Rajiv Gandhi can also be mentioned,” he said.

“When Rajiv’s son calls you a chor (thief), won’t you tell him who he is and what is his legacy,” Malik added. Addressing a rally at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Modi had attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s father Rajiv Gandhi, saying, “Your father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘Bhrashtachari (corrupt) No 1”.

Malik said Rajiv Gandhi was initially not corrupt but under the influence of some people, he got involved in the Bofors corruption case. “I will not name. He got involved in the Bofors corruption case. And you should know PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and I quit the Rajya Sabha in the wake of the Bofors corruption case and formed the Jan Morcha,” Malik said when asked about a 76-second audio clip in which he told Supreme Court lawyer and rebel BJP leader Ajay Agarawal that Rahul Gandhi was not corrupt.

“Rajiv was not corrupt. In those days when they received money from AICC for their travel, he never took anything unnecessary. This was told (to me) by Arun Nehru,” he is heard saying in the clip.

Malik has a political background. Starting his political journey as a socialist student leader, he went on to join many parties. These include the Congress, Janata Dal and the BJP. Before becoming the governor of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018, he had served as governor of Bihar.