Protests in Doda, other places in J&K against detention of AAP MLA Malik

Jail officials say no special treatment for legislator booked under PSA, mobile internet slowed down in Doda to check rumour-mongers.

Police had to resort to use of tear-gas and mild lathicharge after supporters of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik pelted stones on the cops in Doda district on Tuesday, said officials.

Aam Aadmi Party workers protest demanding release of detained MLA Mehraj Malik in Jammu on Tuesday. (ANI)

Protests were held by AAP activists and supporters in Doda and Jammu city against the detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). “The administration has imposed Section 163 of the BNSS and made announcements advising people to disperse. However, AAP activists and supporters of Mehraj Malik took out a Doda Chalo rally from Gandoh,” said a police officer.

He informed that at Dunadi, the protestors went berserk and pelted stones at the policemen, who tried to foil their March. As a result, police had use tear-gass shells and they also resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the protestors, he added.

The protest march reached Thathri Morh by 6 pm. Raising slogans in favour of Malik’s release, hundreds of his supporters took out a march from village Bhatyas and headed for Doda town. Another group of AAP activists also held a protest near the clock tower in Doda town but were dispersed by police.

A protest was held in Jammu city, where supporters of Malik called his detention under PSA an “autocratic move to stifle the voice of dissent in the world’s largest democracy.”

Parallel rallies in support of deputy commissioner Harvinder Singh were held in Doda town by civil society members. “According to Malik, right from Prime Minister to home minister, LG and Doda DC are corrupt and he is the only honest person around. This man (Mehraj Malik) is a threat to communal harmony in Doda district. On social sites, he glorified slain terrorist Burhan Wani and called him a brand. He also talked about raising a Lashkar here. This man is a threat to society,” said one of the protesters.

Doda AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under CCTV watch in Kathua jail

Having attained the dubious distinction of being the first legislator from Jammu and Kashmir to be detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), Doda East MLA Mehraj Malik, 37, was being treated like any other inmate in accordance with the prison manual at Kathua district jail, officials said.

“It’s too early to judge him, but he was not aggressive when brought to the prison on Monday night after the medical examination at Government Medical College, Kathua,” a senior home department official said, requesting anonymity.

“The MLA has been kept in a separate barrack under CCTV surveillance. As we speak, he hasn’t gone on any hunger strike. In fact, he ate last night besides having breakfast this morning. He is being provided the same food that other jail inmates are getting. There are no special arrangements,” the official said. However, a fan and a water cooler that are available to other inmates as well have been provided to the MLA, he said.

“We are keeping a close watch,” said the official.

A political controversy erupted in J&K on Tuesday over the arrest of Malik under PSA for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district on Monday.

The opposition PDP termed his arrest “a shameful surrender”, accusing the assembly secretariat of endorsing the PSA against the first sitting legislator, while the secretariat issued an official communique in Jammu denying any role in the matter.

Malik is also the president of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He was shifted to Kathua district jail on Monday evening.

“It has been highlighted/reported in some media reports, social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) that the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly secretariat has endorsed the slapping of provisions of Public Safety Act on Mehraj Malik, which is factually incorrect and baseless as the secretariat has no role in it,” the communique said.

However, it said the secretariat was under an obligation in terms of Rule 260 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly to inform all MLAs about Malik’s detention.

It clarified that Rule 260 reads: “As soon as may be, the Speaker shall, after he has received a communication referred to in Rule 258 or Rule 259, read it out in the House, if in session or if the House is not in session direct, that it may be published in the bulletin for the information of the members.”

2-month-old infant dies after vehicle stuck in traffic

A two-month-old female infant died amid protests after a police sub-inspector allegedly denied passage to government medical college in Doda town to her family on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Umaisa, daughter of Adil Hussain of Kahara Gandoh. “My grand-daughter was taken ill and the doctors at Thathri referred her to GMC Doda. However, we were stopped at Pul Doda by a police SI, who didn’t allow us entry to Doda town for taking the child to GMC Doda,” infant’s grandfather told media persons.

Deceased’s father worked in Punjab.

Security forces had closed the traffic movement at Pul Doda check post, gateway to Doda town in view of protest march by the people of Kahara, Gandoh and Bhatyas, native place of Mehraj Malik, to Doda town.

“Despite pleading before the police sub inspector, we were not allowed to take the child to GMC Doda and eventually she died at the check post,” the grandfather further added.

The grieving family had staged a sit-in at the check post demanding strict action against the police officer.

A police officer said, “There was a huge traffic jam on Pul Doda and this child was being carried in a private car that was stuck way behind in the queue. As soon as Dy SP headquarters came to know about sickness of the child, he immediately created a passage and took the child to GMC Doda but by then she had died.”

Authorities concerned were yet to issue official statement on the incident.