NEW DELHI: Doda Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik was detained on Monday under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order.
Officials confirmed that this is the first time a sitting MLA has been booked under this act, which permits detention without charge or trial for up to two years.
The move has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties and AAP, which vowed that the action will not silence its leader, PTI reported.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah was among the first to object, saying Malik is "not a threat to public safety” and insisting that using a "discredited law to detain him is wrong".
Malik, 37, who also heads AAP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, was taken into custody at Dak Bungalow while preparing to visit flood-affected areas of his constituency.
Police later prepared a dossier against him, and he was transferred to Bhaderwah district jail on the orders of deputy commissioner Harvinder Singh, with whom he had been locked in a public feud on social media.
The assembly secretariat circulated a formal intimation from the District Magistrate of Doda on the detention. A bulletin stated, "Malik has been booked under the provisions of the PSA on grounds of his activities being prejudicial to the maintenance of public order."
It further added, "relevant materials, reports, and circumstances that clearly establish that the continuance of such activities by the Member posed a grave threat to peace, public order and tranquility in the district."
Abdullah, posting on X, said, "There is no justification for detaining Mehraj Malik under PSA. He’s not a threat to 'public safety' and using this discredited law to detain him is wrong. If the unelected government can use its powers against an elected representative like this then how does anyone expect the people of J&K to continue to have faith in democracy."
The detention came as government employees staged demonstrations in solidarity with deputy commissioner Singh, accusing Malik of repeatedly abusing officers and inciting young people against the administration.
Their statement lauded Singh’s "exceptional service, integrity and dedication to public welfare," describing him as a "beacon of hope" for flood-hit residents of Doda. Malik’s "abusive language and baseless allegations," they said, were "unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable."
Officials pointed out that Malik has faced dozens of complaints over the past year for what they called his "uncultured" behaviour and confrontations with officials. Several of his associates have also been detained under the PSA, and security has been tightened in sensitive parts of the district.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticised the action, posting, “Is demanding a hospital for the people of your area such a grave crime that an elected MLA has to be thrown in jail for it? Mehraj Malik is the lion of the Aam Aadmi Party.”
The PDP and Peoples Conference also condemned the detention, branding it an attack on dissent and democracy. The BJP, however, welcomed the move, saying individuals who use "abusive and unparliamentary language against the general public and public functionaries" must face consequences, PTI reported.
Before being shifted to jail, Malik shared a video from Dak Bungalow alleging he was being prevented from meeting flood-affected constituents. "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 here," he said.
The AAP legislator has often got embroiled in controversy. In April, he clashed with BJP and PDP members inside the Assembly after remarks about Hindus drinking during festivals and comments on PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Malik later said his statement about Hindus had been taken out of context.
He secured his assembly seat from Doda in 2024 with a margin of 4,538 votes, giving AAP its first foothold in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials confirmed that this is the first time a sitting MLA has been booked under this act, which permits detention without charge or trial for up to two years.
The move has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties and AAP, which vowed that the action will not silence its leader, PTI reported.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah was among the first to object, saying Malik is "not a threat to public safety” and insisting that using a "discredited law to detain him is wrong".
Malik, 37, who also heads AAP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, was taken into custody at Dak Bungalow while preparing to visit flood-affected areas of his constituency.
Police later prepared a dossier against him, and he was transferred to Bhaderwah district jail on the orders of deputy commissioner Harvinder Singh, with whom he had been locked in a public feud on social media.
The assembly secretariat circulated a formal intimation from the District Magistrate of Doda on the detention. A bulletin stated, "Malik has been booked under the provisions of the PSA on grounds of his activities being prejudicial to the maintenance of public order."
It further added, "relevant materials, reports, and circumstances that clearly establish that the continuance of such activities by the Member posed a grave threat to peace, public order and tranquility in the district."
Abdullah, posting on X, said, "There is no justification for detaining Mehraj Malik under PSA. He’s not a threat to 'public safety' and using this discredited law to detain him is wrong. If the unelected government can use its powers against an elected representative like this then how does anyone expect the people of J&K to continue to have faith in democracy."
The detention came as government employees staged demonstrations in solidarity with deputy commissioner Singh, accusing Malik of repeatedly abusing officers and inciting young people against the administration.
Their statement lauded Singh’s "exceptional service, integrity and dedication to public welfare," describing him as a "beacon of hope" for flood-hit residents of Doda. Malik’s "abusive language and baseless allegations," they said, were "unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable."
Officials pointed out that Malik has faced dozens of complaints over the past year for what they called his "uncultured" behaviour and confrontations with officials. Several of his associates have also been detained under the PSA, and security has been tightened in sensitive parts of the district.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticised the action, posting, “Is demanding a hospital for the people of your area such a grave crime that an elected MLA has to be thrown in jail for it? Mehraj Malik is the lion of the Aam Aadmi Party.”
The PDP and Peoples Conference also condemned the detention, branding it an attack on dissent and democracy. The BJP, however, welcomed the move, saying individuals who use "abusive and unparliamentary language against the general public and public functionaries" must face consequences, PTI reported.
Before being shifted to jail, Malik shared a video from Dak Bungalow alleging he was being prevented from meeting flood-affected constituents. "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 here," he said.
The AAP legislator has often got embroiled in controversy. In April, he clashed with BJP and PDP members inside the Assembly after remarks about Hindus drinking during festivals and comments on PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Malik later said his statement about Hindus had been taken out of context.
He secured his assembly seat from Doda in 2024 with a margin of 4,538 votes, giving AAP its first foothold in Jammu and Kashmir.
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