Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik shared multiple pearls of wisdom in his first official media interaction since August 5 when the Centre announced the decision to revoke the special status of the state and imposed a lockdown.

• The governor feels the longer politicians stay in jail, the higher the political dividends for them
• The governor believes mobile phones and Internet are essentially weapons of terrorists, and ordinary citizens have little use of them
• The governor has predicted people will beat Congress leaders with shoes for their stand on the changes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Malik held the media conference at Raj Bhavan, where some select journalists — all from electronic media — were invited.

He promised to provide 50,000 jobs to the youths, usher in massive development and protect Jammu and Kashmir’s identity, culture, religion, society, language and heritage.

“Phone and Internet are of very little use to us. It’s used more by terrorists and Pakistan. It is being used for mobilisation and indoctrination. The Internet is (used as a) weapon against us and that is why we have stopped it,” he said, justifying the information blockade that is inching towards a month.

Asked about the detention of politicians in the Valley, Malik, who was in the BJP before taking up governor assignments, said: “Don’t you want new people to become leaders? I have been to jail 30 times. Those who go to jail become leaders. The longer they remain in jail, (the more) people will talk about them… that they have been jailed for six months. If you have any sympathy for them, don’t be worried about their detention.”

“If they stay in jail for some issue, it will help them politically,” he added.

Malik was asked whether he was favouring their arrests. “No, no, I am wishing them well,” he replied.

Malik said Rahul Gandhi was behaving like a political juvenile, because of which Pakistan had mentioned his statements in its letter to the UN.

“I should not be saying this but when elections come, their opponents simply need to say that they (the Congress) are sympathisers of Article 370, people will beat them with shoes,” the governor said.

The governor expressed satisfaction that not a single person has died so far in police action since August 5.