Former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik Passes Away at 79; A Life of Political Versatility and Unflinching Outspokenness Ends
His mortal remains will be taken to his RK Puram residence, with cremation scheduled for Wednesday at Lodhi Crematorium.
NEW DELHI– Satya Pal Malik, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and one of India’s most outspoken political figures, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79 at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. He had been battling kidney complications and a severe urinary tract infection and breathed his last at approximately 1:12 PM.
His mortal remains will be taken to his RK Puram residence, with cremation scheduled for Wednesday at Lodhi Crematorium.
Born on July 24, 1946, in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, Malik emerged from humble beginnings to become a prominent Jat leader and a veteran politician whose career stretched over five decades. A graduate in science and law from Meerut University, he began as a student leader and was elected to the UP Assembly in 1974 under Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Bharatiya Kranti Dal.
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From the Rajya Sabha (1980–89) to the Lok Sabha (1989–91), Malik’s journey crossed party lines, including Lok Dal, Congress, Samajwadi Party, and finally the BJP, where he rose to become national vice-president in 2012.
Malik’s gubernatorial legacy included high-stakes postings: Bihar, Odisha (additional charge), Goa, Meghalaya, and most notably, Jammu & Kashmir during the landmark abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. He was the last Governor of the erstwhile state before its bifurcation into two Union Territories.
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Known for speaking his mind, Malik drew national attention for criticizing the BJP-led central government, particularly during the farmers’ protests and in the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama attack, where he alleged security lapses and claimed pressure to remain silent from top leadership, including PM Modi and NSA Ajit Doval.
In his final months, Malik remained hospitalized and described his condition as “serious” on social media in June 2025. He was visited by opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, highlighting his shift from BJP ally to critic.
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Tributes flowed across party lines. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi called him “a bold voice for farmers,” while West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee praised his courage in speaking uncomfortable truths. Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir and other states also expressed condolences.
Satya Pal Malik leaves behind a complex, fearless, and eventful legacy — of a man who navigated India’s shifting political landscape with both allegiance and dissent.
