J&K AAP MLA Mehraj Malik Detained Under PSA, Sparks Outrage

Srinagar: Massive street protest erupted in Jammu and Kashmir's eastern district of Doda on Tuesday against the detention of Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and MLA Mehraj Din Malik under the region's stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).

Protesters, chanting slogans, demanded Malik’s immediate release. Reports said the police used batons to disperse crowds on separate occasions in the area.

Authorities also suspended internet services in parts of Doda, including Malik’s native Bhalesa, as a precaution amid growing unrest among his supporters.Security restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in Doda town, 206 km southeast of Srinagar, but defiant crowds took to the streets in support of Malik, reports received here said.

Tensions escalated after reports spread that a two-year-old patient died because police barricades blocked access to a hospital, though no official confirmation has been provided.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has, once again, criticised Malik’s detention, questioning the necessity of invoking the PSA.

Speaking to reporters here, he argued that any mistake by Malik could have been addressed in the Assembly under the speaker’s supervision, not through such a harsh law. Abdullah emphasized that Doda saw no law-and-order issues, stone pelting, or riots to justify the PSA’s use, calling it “unjust” and a threat to democratic trust.

He also alleged inaction against those who stirred religious tensions in Hazratbal and recalled being manhandled by police during a July 14 visit to Srinagar’s Martyrs’ Cemetery.

Malik, 37, elected in 2024 by defeating his BJP rival in Doda by over 4,538 votes, was detained on Monday at a Dak Bungalow while visiting flood-affected areas. He was later shifted to Bhaderwah district jail under a PSA order issued by Doda’s District Magistrate, Harvinder Singh, citing Malik’s activities as a “grave threat” to public order. The authorities referenced 18 FIRs, 10 police logs, and public complaints, accusing Malik of using abusive language against Singh and other officials, obstructing flood relief efforts, and inciting unrest during protests by government employees supporting the DC.

Malik had previously claimed employees were coerced into backing the DC under threat of suspension.

Officials justified the detention, citing Malik’s history of “uncultured behaviour,” including fights with officials, threats to doctors at Government Medical College Doda, and derogatory remarks about public figures.

The DC’s order stated that Malik’s continued activities risked destabilizing the flood-hit region, necessitating his detention to maintain public order.This marks the first time a sitting MLA has been detained under the PSA, a 1978 law introduced by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s National Conference government to curb timber smuggling and other similar crimes but often used against political opponents. The PSA, labelled a “lawless law” by Amnesty International and criticised in a 2018 UN report, allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years.

Political parties, except the BJP, have widely condemned Malik' detention, terming it an undemocratic action that reflects bureaucratic arrogance. However, the BJP endorsed Malik’s detention, describing it as an essential step to curb disruptive political behaviour.