Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday quoted home minister Amit Shah as telling him that some people had “ruined his (Narendra Modi’s) thinking” before clarifying on Monday that Shah “respects” the Prime Minister and had actually said some people were “misguiding” him.

On Sunday, Malik had also accused Modi of displaying “arrogance” at a meeting where the governor had taken up the then agitating farmers’ cause. On Monday, he repeated the charge against Modi.

Sunday’s comments by Malik came at a public event in Haryana, and Monday’s clarification was made to the NDTV news channel.

Satya Pal Malik. File photo

Malik had said in Haryana: “Mein Amit Shah se mila.

Usne kaha, ‘Satyapal iski (Modi) akal mar rakhi hai logon ne. Tum befikar raho, milte raho, ye kisi na kisi din samajh me aa jayega’ (I met Amit Shah and he said, ‘Satyapal, some people have ruined his thinking. But don’t worry, keep meeting him and someday he will understand’).”

During Monday’s clarification, which came after senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted that Shah had called the PM “mad”, Malik began by saying: “Amit Shah respects the PM a lot.”

He added: “Unhone bas yehi kaha, ‘Kuchh log unko misguide kar rahe hain. Aap milte rahiye, baat samajh me aa jayegi’ (Shah merely said, ‘Some people are misguiding him. You keep meeting him, he will understand’).”

The clarification appears to concern mainly the tone of Shah’s purported comment.

In his Haryana speech, purported videos of which have been widely circulated, Malik had said his meeting with Modi had ended in a confrontation.

“When I went to discuss the issue of farmers with the Prime Minister, a conflict occurred within five minutes. He was full of arrogance. When I pointed out that 500 farmers had died already, he said, ‘Did they die for me?’ I said they died because of you, they made you the emperor,” the governor said on Sunday.

On Monday, he told NDTV: “Jab main unse (Modi) MSP aur teeno kanoon par mila toh unka rawaiya bada adiyal tha. Aise jaise woh sunna nahi chahte (When I met him to discuss the MSP and the three farm laws, his attitude was very arrogant. He was not ready to listen).”

Amit Shah. File photo

He added: “Unhone (Modi) ultimately yah kah kar kharij kar diya ki, ‘Ja kar Amit Shah se mil lo’ (Modi ultimately dismissed me saying, ‘Go and meet Amit Shah’).”

Kharge, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had earlier tweeted a purported video of Malik’s Haryana speech and written: “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! @naredramodi ji is this true?”

Despite his position as governor, Malik — who belongs to the Jat community of western Uttar Pradesh — had relentlessly criticised the government during the farmers’ yearlong protest on Delhi’s borders.

Malik had earlier alleged rampant corruption in Jammu and Kashmir and Goa where he had been posted as governor.

The government’s failure to act against him and the BJP’s silence have led to speculation that the ruling establishment fears that Malik —once a trusted aide — might cause more damage if sacked.

Malik was Jammu and Kashmir governor when the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split into two Union Territories.

“This man was their hatchet man in J&K, now he bites that hand that fed him. The people of J&K can certify the untrustworthiness of Mr Malik,” former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted on Monday.

Malik’s account

Satya Pal Malik: He (Modi) was very arrogant. When I told him that 500 of our farmers had died, he asked, ‘Did they die for me?’

Malik: I said they died because of you, they made you the emperor