Jammu and Kashmir Aaam Aadmi Party chief and MLA Mehraj Malik was on Monday detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district, officials said.
This is for the first time that a sitting MLA has been taken into custody under the PSA, an administrative law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases.
Earlier during the day, the 37-year-old AAP MLA was detained by police at Dak Bungalow while he was planning to visit flood-hit areas of his constituency, the officials said.
He was later shifted to Bhaderwah district jail under the PSA on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Doda, Harvinder Singh, after police prepared a dossier against him, they said.
The action against Malik, who has often courted controversies with his statements, comes amid a massive protest by government employees who came out in support of the deputy commissioner after Malik used a social media platform to launch a disparaging campaign against him.
The protesting employees accused the MLA of "habitually" hurling abuses at senior government officers, including doctors, and provoking youths against the official machinery.
In a statement, the protesting employees lauded the deputy commissioner for his "exceptional service, integrity and dedication to public welfare", and said his compassionate approach has made him a
beacon of hope" for the residents of Doda in general and the flood-affected population in particular.
They condemned the use of abusive language and baseless allegations against the officer as unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable and slammed the uncivilised and irresponsible behaviour of the legislator.
The officials said dozens of cases and complaints are registered against Malik for his uncultured behaviour and fights with government officials in the hill district over the past one year.
Several other close associates of the AAP leader are also being detained under PSA, while additional deployment has been made in the sensitive areas to maintain law and order, they said.
The opposition PDP and Peoples Conference condemned Malik's detention under PSA, calling it an attempt to crush dissent and an assault on democracy.
During his detention at Dak Bungalow, Malik posted a video on his social media account in which he claimed that he was being stopped from meeting people of his constituency who have "suffered immensely" due to the recent flash floods and torrential rains.
The MLA accused the deputy commissioner of arranging protests by employees against him.
There are many areas in my constituency which are without road connectivity, ration and without shelter after their homes were damaged but I am being detained Jammu, Malik said.
"I have no right to speak or protest for my people, some people are trying to give communal colour to my objections against the deputy commissioner."
"He has booked six of my colleagues in a fake case and is oppressing the poor. I am not against anyone who is working for the betterment of the people," Malik claimed in his video.
In April, Malik entered into a scuffle with some BJP and PDP members inside the J-K Assembly complex after the saffron party leaders objected to his alleged remarks that Hindus get drunk during festivals, while PDP legislators took strong exception to his statement on PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
However, Malik later claimed that his statement on Hindus was taken out of context.
In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir elections, Malik defeated his nearest rival from the BJP in Doda constituency by a margin of over 4,538 votes and registered the first win for his party in the Union territory.
He won the District Development Council elections from Kahara constituency of Doda on December 24, 2020. He resigned from the post after winning the assembly elections in October last year.
"Strongly condemn the use of PSA against MLA Mehraj Malik. Such draconian laws are weaponised to silence political voices & crush dissent. Such authoritarian measures are no way to resolve differences in a democracy," PDP MLA from Pulwama Waheed Para said in a post on X.
People's Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone, in a statement, described it as yet another assault on the democratic fabric of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We strongly condemn the use of the PSA against MLA Mehraj Malik. This is a soulless democracy," Lone said, stressing that such actions reduce the democratic process to a mere facade.
Lone said the people's mandate continues to remain powerless despite the conduct of elections. "The will of the people of J&K continues to be subservient. What is the purpose of holding elections if an elected representative is denied the right to express his sentiments?" he asked.
Lone warned that such measures only deepen the crisis of credibility facing the democratic institutions in the region. "It is a very sad day for an already endangered democracy," he said.