SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 12: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday called upon Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately convene an emergency session of the Assembly and personally visit Doda district to assess the volatile situation triggered by the arrest of its MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Addressing reporters, AAP spokesperson Muddasir Hassan said the party’s demand was straightforward: the chief minister must go to Doda, interact with the people, and understand the gravity of the situation on the ground. “Our elected representative has been jailed under PSA, and the people of Doda are in distress. We appeal to the chief minister to see the reality for himself,” Hassan said.
He urged citizens across Jammu and Kashmir to raise their voices in solidarity with Malik, who won the Doda Assembly seat in the 2024 elections by a margin of over 4,500 votes. “This is not just about one MLA; it is about safeguarding democratic values and protecting the right of people to be represented by those they elected,” he emphasized.
Condemning what he termed as “systematic suppression of democratic voices,” Hassan alleged that senior AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former Delhi minister Imran Hussain, were prevented from addressing the media on Thursday. “This is sheer dictatorship. Our voices are deliberately being silenced, and instructions are being issued to media houses not to cover our statements,” he claimed.
The spokesperson strongly criticized the use of the PSA against Malik, calling it a “serious question mark on democracy.” He argued that applying such a stringent preventive detention law to an elected representative sets a dangerous precedent. “The PSA was never meant to stifle dissent in legislatures. This action raises serious doubts about the government’s commitment to democratic governance,” Hassan remarked.
Malik, who was detained earlier this week and lodged in Kathua district jail for allegedly disturbing public order, has become a rallying point for the AAP in Jammu and Kashmir. The party has vowed to intensify its agitation if the government fails to revoke the PSA charges and release the legislator.