Srinagar: Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said the ruling elite that was involved in corruption in Jammu and Kashmir would “face action soon” and asked youth to give up arms as “neither azaadi [independence] nor autonomy was possible.”

“It’s unfortunate that the people in J&K are not told the truth. Political parties have exploited them in the name of autonomy and azaadi. Neither autonomy nor azaadi is possible. Now, in the name of janaat [heaven], the youth are being exploited. Kashmir is also heaven, nurture it. The Islamic State ideology has been defeated even where it started,” said Mr. Malik at a press conference in Srinagar.

He asked the youth to lay down their arms and “join me for dinner.” “I will hold a dialogue with them on how this violence will not achieve them anything. I want to make it clear that no violence can make India bend. It’s just dialogue that can win hearts. We are open for a dialogue. J&K already enjoys a separate flag. Any solution will be only within the Constitution,” said Mr. Malik.

Stressing that his dispensation was having no grudge against Jammu and Kashmir’s mainstream political parties, Mr. Malik said he had repeatedly asked these local parties “not to parrot separatists.”

The Governor said corruption in Jammu and Kashmir was more prevalent than any part of the country. “There were two major cases of corruption involving ₹150 crore each. I apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and got many deals cancelled where middlemen were offering kickbacks. Many powerful people, with access to the PM, were involved in it,” he said.

The Governor said the ruling elite in Jammu and Kashmir was part of the corruption. “They will be acted against soon. If this message goes that no aspirant of a bureaucrat or powerful person will be given preference in recruitment, half of terrorism will end here,” he added.

He said action against will be taken “against big fish soon.” He also said all those police officers who demanded money or other favours from the detained youth “have been removed in Kashmir.”

Around six fact-finding committees in different areas, such as sports, technical education, sports council, macadamisation, dredging and Jammu And Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation, Limited had been set up “to act against the corrupt elements through the amended powers granted to the Anti-Corruption Board [ACB]”.

On issues related to J&K Bank, Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said action was taken after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expressed concern over the governance of the bank.

“These issues were pending despite the RBI recommendations. We were forced to remove the chief managing director of the bank. We are constituting the best search committee to suggest good people as CMD of the bank, which is a shining glory of the State. It’s important it regains its glory,” said Mr. Subrahmanyam.

He said the ACB raids on the bank were related to old complaints of irregularities and not recent selections.

“The J&K Bank has a written registry on what and whose recommendations people were appointed. People were appointed under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A bank is not an employment agency. It’s fundamentally a bank and a custodian of people’s money. Its primary responsibility is to take care of the money. It’s not a charity institution. It had moved away from its core mandate,” said Mr. Subrahmanyam.

He said the bank spent ₹50 crore on a golf course “where less than 1,000 people come and play.”

The Chief Secretary said the tourism graph, which slipped after the Pulwama attack in February, “has started picking up fast in J&K.”