Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. His death was confirmed through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Malik was undergoing treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in Delhi, where he had been admitted on May 11. The hospital said he was suffering from complicated urinary tract infection, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and multi-organ failure. He also had chronic health issues, including diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, morbid obesity, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Despite intensive care, multiple rounds of antibiotics, ventilator support, dialysis, and other interventions, his condition continued to deteriorate. The hospital confirmed he had developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and acute kidney failure on top of chronic kidney disease.
His body will be taken to his residence in R K Puram, and the cremation will be held tomorrow at Lodhi crematorium.
Born in Baghpat, western Uttar Pradesh, Malik began his political journey in the 1970s as an MLA from Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Bharatiya Kranti Dal. Over the next 50 years, he shifted between parties, including Lok Dal, Congress, Janata Dal, and the BJP.
He served two terms in the Rajya Sabha, first in 1980 under Lok Dal and later in 1986 after joining Congress. He held various political positions and was appointed Governor of several states, including Goa, Meghalaya, and most notably, Jammu and Kashmir, where he oversaw the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Malik remained known for his bold and controversial statements throughout his career. He often criticized the Union government, including making allegations of corruption and raising questions about the Pulwama attack in a 2023 interview with The Wire.
Even in his final years, Malik was politically active, appealing to his Jat and farmer base in western UP and continuing to voice strong opinions on national issues.
