JKNC condemns PSA detention of MLA Mehraj Malik, calls it an assault on democracy

September 9, 2025 by News Desk

The Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) on Monday launched a scathing attack on the administration over the detention of Doda legislator Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA), describing the move as an assault on democracy and a dangerous precedent in the region’s political landscape.

Malik, who won the Doda Assembly seat in the recently held polls, was booked under the controversial PSA last week. The law, which allows detention without trial for extended periods, has long faced criticism from rights groups for its sweeping provisions and alleged misuse against political opponents.

Party vice president Omar Abdullah took the strongest line, questioning the credibility of governance in the region. “There is no justification for detaining Mehraj Malik under PSA. If an unelected government can jail an elected representative using a discredited law, how can the people be expected to keep faith in democracy?” he asked.

“Invoking the Public Safety Act (PSA) against MLA Mehraj Malik is unjustifiable. If an elected representative has erred, he must be questioned and dealt with under due process of law. That is how accountability works in a democracy. The PSA, intended for exceptional cases of grave security threats, has been repeatedly misused in Jammu & Kashmir to detain individuals on vague and arbitrary grounds. It has effectively become a tool to silence voices. Such misuse erodes public trust in institutions and reduces a legal safeguard into an instrument of suppression. We strongly condemn the use of abusive language by Mehraj Malik, but this is not justice; it is repression,” Aga Ruhullah Mehdi said while condemning the Public Safety Act on Mehraj Malik.

Condemning the action, JKNC leaders said the arrest of a sitting MLA was a direct insult to the people’s mandate. Hilal Akbar Lone, one of the party’s young faces, termed the detention “an utter affront to democracy.” He argued that silencing elected representatives through draconian laws only exposed the government’s fear of dissent. “Imprisoning an elected representative under PSA doesn’t weaken legislators. It strengthens us to resist attempts to shred democracy,” he said.

Party veteran Bashir Ahmad Veeri also denounced the move, stressing that differences with Malik’s politics could not justify such a measure. “Calling him a ‘grave threat to peace and order’ is baseless. Slapping PSA on a sitting legislator reflects a colonial mindset and is beyond comprehension,” he said.

Salman Ali Sagar, another senior JKNC leader, warned that the detention set a “dangerous precedent” in Jammu and Kashmir post-2019. “This is about silencing political voices and shrinking democratic space. Free speech and dissent are cornerstones of democracy, not crimes,” he said.

The move has triggered protests in Doda, where Malik’s supporters say his detention reflects the administration’s unwillingness to tolerate opposition. JKNC leaders have pledged to continue raising the issue both inside and outside the Assembly, calling for his immediate release.

The administration has not issued a detailed explanation beyond citing “public order” concerns. But for JKNC, Malik’s arrest is symbolic of what they see as a systematic effort to weaken representative politics in Jammu and Kashmir.