Satya Pal Malik offered a clarification hours after his startling claim.
Home Minister Amit Shah meant no disrespect to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik clarified this afternoon to NDTV hours after a video- that shows him making contradictory remarks - went viral, and the opposition parties latched on to his comments.
Mr Malik, 75, has been a vehement critic of the BJP over farmers' issues. Today, a video that shows him talking about his recent meeting with the Prime Minister was widely shared on social media. "When I recently went to meet the Prime Minister over the farmers' issues, I picked up a fight within five minutes... I told him 500 people have died... He asked - 'Have they died for me?'"
"I told him yes, since you are the king. Anyway, I ended up having a fight with him. He told me to meet Amit Shah and so I did," he is heard saying in the clip.
Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted the video with scathing comments: "Meghalaya's Governor Sri Satya Pal Malik is on record saying PM was 'arrogant' on the issue of Farmers & HM Amit Shah called the PM as 'mad'. Constitutional authorities speaking about each other with such contempt! Narendra Modiji is this true?"
In this clip, Mr Malik further says - "When I met Amit Shah, he told me 'Satya, he has lost his mind. You be carefree and keep meeting us'."
As the comments created a huge uproar, Mr Malik, within hours, offered a clarification.
"The Prime Minister was not ready to listen... He tried to dismiss my concerns... and said 'meet Amit Shah'. Amit Shah respects Modi ji a lot. He told me that people misguide the Prime Minister. 'One day PM will understand this (the farmers' contention with the three laws)', I was told. I want to clarify that Mr Shah did not say anything about the Prime Minister with ill intent. He only told me that my concerns will be understood," he told NDTV.
In November, just days before farmers marked one year of their protest against three contentious laws, PM Modi apologised in an address to the nation, and said the three laws would be revoked.
The clampdown, critics said, came just ahead of elections in five states, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh where the issue had been raging since 2020.
"Modi ji canceled the laws when he understood the concerns. If he would have heard me earlier, the political backlash and the loss of lives could have been avoided," Mr Malik further told NDTV today.
"But better late than never. BJP should not be rigid in its approach. The PM's cancellation of laws... people have now accepted. Earlier the resentment against him had grown which has now lessened."
To the opposition parties latching on to his comments, he has just one message - "This is an internal issue. Congress should not jump into this and indulge in politics."