 Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 8: Mehraj Din Malik, the lone Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has once again made history—this time for becoming the first sitting legislator to be detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for using derogatory language against an officer.
Malik, who had earlier created history by becoming the first AAP MLA in the Union Territory after securing a landmark victory in the 2024 Assembly elections, is now facing preventive detention under the PSA. The decision has raised eyebrows across political circles.
While several former MLAs were booked under the PSA in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, this marks the first instance where a sitting legislator has been detained under the law for alleged misconduct.
Police sources cited as many as 18 FIRs and multiple public complaints against Malik, accusing him of verbally abusing officials, obstructing relief and development works, and inciting youth in Doda district. Authorities justified the detention as a necessary step to maintain public order and hinted that further PSA actions could follow in the coming days.
The PSA, an administrative law unique to Jammu and Kashmir, allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in certain cases. Officials claimed that Malik’s actions posed a threat to peace and governance in the region.
According to an official bulletin issued by Shabir Ahmad Wani, Under Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat, MLA Mehraj Din Malik has been booked under the PSA.
The bulletin, citing intimation from Harvinder Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Doda, stated that Malik, representing the Doda-52 constituency, has been booked under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, for engaging in activities prejudicial to public order.
“The said action has be Mehraj Din Malik, the lone Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA in Jammu and Kashmir, has once again made history.
This time he has become the first sitting legislator to be detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for using derogatory language against an officer.
As many as 18 FIRs and multiple public complaints have been registered against Malik
He has been accused of verbally abusing officials, obstructing relief and development works, and inciting youth in Doda district.
Malik is accused of using abusive language against Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh over the relocation of a damaged government health centre to a private building. The incident was livestreamed by Malik on his Facebook page on September 5.
During the livestream covering the shifting of Health Centre Kencha in Thathri block, Malik—reportedly confronted by an activist from another party—alleged bias on the part of the district administration and police and verbally attacked the DC.
Several videos circulating on social media platforms reportedly show Malik using abusive language against the Deputy Commissioner.
Malik’s political career has been marked by controversies. In May this year, he threatened doctors and paramedics at the Government Medical College, Doda, calling them a “mafia” and warning of dire consequences. The threats led to a strike by the medical staff and the filing of a case by a lady doctor against him.
In July, Malik again courted controversy when he made personal remarks about Education Minister Sakina Itoo regarding school reopening timings after the summer break.
In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Malik defeated his closest rival from the BJP by over 4,538 votes in the Doda constituency—marking AAP’s first legislative victory in the Union Territory. Prior to this, he had won the District Development Council election from Kahara constituency on December 24, 2020. Following his assembly win in October, he resigned from his earlier post. |
