When ex-Guv stirred political storm in J&K politics with broken fax machine

Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik, who passed away on Tuesday, may be remembered for many things — but one of the most politically charged moments of his tenure came in the form of a broken fax machine.

Malik, 79, who served as Governor of J&K from 2018 to 2019, was admitted to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and passed away on Tuesday afternoon.

The year was 2018, just months before the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. The BJP had pulled out of its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), plunging the state into political uncertainty.

Then came a dramatic twist. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, backed by an unlikely alliance of the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, claimed the support of 56 MLAs and faxed a letter to the Raj Bhavan, staking claim to form the government. But the Governor’s office claimed it never received the fax.

Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference also said he had sent in his own claim to the Governor. With the fax machine allegedly “not working”, Lone famously tweeted: “Fax not working. We have WhatsApped it to the PA to His Excellency.”

He also posted a screenshot showing that he had sent his letter via WhatsApp to Governor Malik’s staff and said he had received an acknowledgement.

As claims and counterclaims surfaced in Srinagar, Malik swiftly dissolved the Assembly, citing fears of horse trading and a lack of a stable configuration.

Mehbooba Mufti fired back, saying, “Strange that the fax machine couldn’t receive our letter, but could issue one on dissolution so fast.”

Even Omar Abdullah, now the Chief Minister, took a swipe: “Raj Bhavan needs a new fax machine urgently.”

In a later interview, Malik stood by his decision, saying he had acted to prevent instability. He said, “There was no chance of a stable government. There were reports of horse trading.”

Malik also cited the Eid holiday as a reason. He said it was a holiday that day and government offices were shut. “Even my cook was on leave,” he said, “let alone the person who handles fax.”

Now, as tributes pour in for Malik, the fax machine episode remains one of the most peculiar chapters of his governorship.