‘Is demanding hospital a crime?’ Kejriwal slams detention of AAP MLA in J-K under PSA

New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday slammed the detention of the party's lone MLA in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehraj Malik, under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), saying he was raising his voice for the rights of people of his constituency.

“Is demanding a hospital for the people of your area such a grave crime that an elected MLA has to be thrown in jail for it? Mehraj Malik is the lion of the Aam Aadmi Party," Kejriwal said in a post on X in Hindi.

"He will always remain the voice of the people, fighting for their rights. Jail, threats, and conspiracies… none of these can ever scare any soldier of AAP,” the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor said.

The 37-year-old AAP MLA was detained on Monday under the PSA for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district, amid a protest against the legislator by government employees who accused him of launching a disparaging campaign against the deputy commissioner.

This is for the first time that a sitting MLA has been taken into custody under the PSA, a law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases.

Officials said the MLA from Doda was detained by police at Dak Bungalow while he was planning to visit flood-hit areas of his constituency. He was later shifted to Bhaderwah district jail on the orders of the deputy commissioner of Doda after police prepared a dossier against him.

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia also lashed out at the Centre, describing Malik’s detention as “the open dictatorship of the Modi-Shah government which is seeped in hunger for power”.

In a post on X, he said those raising their voice for people’s rights were being treated as a threat, but “history is witness, whenever dictatorship increases, the revolution gains momentum .” Before being shifted to jail, Malik uploaded a video claiming he was being prevented from meeting people affected by flash floods and torrential rains.

“There are many areas in my constituency which are without road connectivity, ration and shelter after their homes were damaged but I am being detained here,” he said.

In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, Malik won the Doda seat by over 4,500 votes, securing AAP’s first-ever victory in the Union territory. PTI MHS RT