Jammu, Sept 8: In a first-of-its-kind action in Jammu and Kashmir, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and sitting MLA Mehraj Malik was on Monday detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Doda district for allegedly disturbing public order, officials said.
Malik, 37, was initially stopped by police at Dak Bungalow when he attempted to visit flood-affected areas of his constituency. He was later shifted to Bhaderwah District Jail after Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh ordered his detention under PSA based on a police dossier.
Officials said the legislator, who has often been at the centre of controversies, faces multiple complaints for “uncivilised behaviour” with senior officers, doctors, and other government functionaries in the district. Government employees staged demonstrations in support of the DC, accusing Malik of “habitually abusing officials and provoking youth against the administration.”
The employees hailed the deputy commissioner’s “dedication and integrity,” while condemning the MLA’s “irresponsible behaviour.” Authorities have also initiated PSA proceedings against several of Malik’s close associates and deployed additional forces in sensitive areas to prevent unrest.
The action has triggered sharp political reactions. PDP leader Waheed Para said the government was “weaponising draconian laws to silence elected representatives,” while People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone described it as “an assault on democracy” and “a very sad day for J&K’s political process.”
In a video message recorded during his detention, Malik accused the administration of preventing him from meeting his flood-hit constituents and alleged that protests by employees were orchestrated against him. “Many areas are without road connectivity, ration or shelter, but I am being stopped from speaking for my people,” he said.
Malik, who defeated a BJP rival by over 4,500 votes in the 2024 Assembly elections from Doda, is AAP’s first MLA in Jammu and Kashmir. His detention under PSA, observers say, has raised serious questions about the democratic space available to opposition voices in the Union Territory.
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