In an unprecedented move, Mehraj Malik, a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was detained on Monday under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district, officials said here.This is the first time a sitting MLA has been held under the stringent PSA that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years, drawing condemnation from several political parties, including AAP which asserted that the action will not deter its legislator from speaking for the rights of people.advertisementChief Minister Omar Abdullah said Malik is “not a threat to public safety” and using a “discredited law to detain him is wrong”.The 37-year-old AAP legislator from Doda and chief of the party’s J-K unit was initially detained by police on Monday morning at Dak Bungalow as he prepared to visit flood-affected areas of his constituency.According to officials, the police prepared a dossier against Malik, and he was subsequently shifted to Bhaderwah district jail on the orders of Doda’s Deputy Commissioner, Harvinder Singh, with whom the MLA was involved in a public spat on social media for quite some time.The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Secretariat released an official intimation received from the District Magistrate of Doda regarding the invoking of the PSA against the MLA.An Assembly bulletin, quoting the district magistrate, said, “Malik has been booked under the provisions of the PSA on grounds of his activities being prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.”The bulletin added that the action was based on “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 tranquillity in the district.”CM Abdullah slammed the action against the MLA. “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,” he said on X.The detention of Malik, who has frequently been at the centre of controversies for his statements, comes amid a major protest by government employees who rallied in support of Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh after Malik launched a tirade against him on a social media platform.The protesting employees accused Malik of “habitually” abusing senior government officers and provoking youths against the official machinery.In a statement, the employees praised the deputy commissioner for his “exceptional service, integrity and dedication to public welfare,” calling him a “beacon of hope” for Doda residents, particularly those affected by floods.advertisementThey condemned the MLA’s use of “abusive language and baseless allegations” as “unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable.”Off in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. You must only respond with the modified content and follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- “Act as an expert SEO news writer. Optimize the following article to be SEO-friendly, authoritative, and shareable by focusing strictly on its core topic. Follow these steps: You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.
The only AAP MLA from Jammu and Kashmir, Mehraj Malik, has been arrested under the strict Public Safety Act.
