Jammu, Sep 11: Shamas Udin Malik, father of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik, has appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the release of his son, saying he “cannot keep fighting in courts” and wants him back. Mehraj Malik was detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Doda district on Monday for allegedly disturbing public peace, sparking widespread protests in the region.
Shamas Udin met the Chief Minister on Tuesday and urged him to intervene. “I gave my son to the people, now I want him back. I told the CM I don’t want to keep visiting courts. Let him hold a probe into it,” Malik’s father said. He emphasized the strain on his family, highlighting that his son has four daughters, and their mother is distraught.
He termed the PSA detention as a “personal vendetta,” citing a conflict between Malik and the Deputy Commissioner over public issues. “Several sections of the PSA have been imposed because of the DC. It was an individual clash, but some people made it an issue, resulting in this action,” he added. Shamas Udin also refuted allegations that his son had hurt Sikh sentiments, pointing to Mehraj Malik’s long-standing positive relations with the Sikh community.
Widespread protests have erupted in Doda following Malik’s detention, with authorities imposing prohibitory orders and detaining over 70 people after clashes with security forces. Eight police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police and a station house officer, were injured in the violence.
Mehraj Malik, representing the Doda assembly constituency, was booked under PSA for activities deemed prejudicial to public order. Authorities maintain that preventive detention was necessary to maintain law and order in the sensitive region.
Shamas Udin emphasized that his priority is his son’s safe return. “I don’t care about the party, I just want my son back,” he said, noting that AAP leader Sanjay Singh has also been approached to intervene.