Controversy Unleashed: MLA Mehraj Malik's Arrest Under PSA Sparks Protest

In a stunning development, Mehraj Malik, the Aam Aadmi Party's Jammu and Kashmir chief and Member of the Legislative Assembly, has been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for reportedly disrupting public order in Doda district. This marks the first instance of a sitting MLA being held under the PSA, an administrative law that permits detention without charge or trial for up to two years in certain situations.

Authorities detained the 37-year-old lawmaker at Dak Bungalow while he was planning to assess the flood-impacted areas of his constituency. Malik was later relocated to Bhaderwah district jail under orders from Doda's Deputy Commissioner, Harvinder Singh, following a police-prepared dossier outlining his alleged actions.

Malik's detention has sparked widespread protests, with government employees rallying behind the deputy commissioner, whom Malik had criticized on social media. Government employees have decried his behavior as offensive and destabilizing, while Malik has labeled his detention an alarming suppression of political dissent within Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies.)