PDP urges Speaker to call special JK assembly session over AAP MLA's detention

Srinagar, Sep 13 (PTI) PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Saturday urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to call a special session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly to condemn the detention of AAP's Doda MLA Mehraj Malik, saying a resolution can put pressure on the Centre to release the legislator and protect all members from future targeting.

"I urge Hon'ble Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to call a special Assembly session to condemn the PSA & arrest of MLA Mehraj Malik. A resolution can put pressure on Centre government to release Mehraj Malik & protect all MLAs from future targeting," Mufti said in a post on X.

Malik, who is also chief of AAP's J&K unit, was detained on Monday under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order and was lodged in Kathua jail. His detention sparked violent protests, leading authorities to impose prohibitory restrictions and snap mobile internet and broadband services.

Mufti said Malik needs a strong political stand expressed through the assembly.

"Also, CM @OmarAbdullah should extend legal aid to thousands of poor Kashmiris languishing in jails across India. They need it the most. Mehraj can fight his legal battle what he needs is a strong political stand expressed through assembly," the PDP president added.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K said only condemnations and no action have been taken in the last few days.

"The Speaker and Abdullah should have taken notice of the incident, and the Speaker should have convened a special session of the assembly where it would have been discussed how a sitting MLA can be booked under PSA over an allegation of using foul language," she said.

She added that a resolution should have been passed in the assembly and sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying such actions will not be tolerated.

"It would have created a pressure for Malik's release and in future, the Central government would think 100 times before invoking PSA against any MLA. But it did not happen," Mufti said.

On the meeting between Malik's father and Abdullah, the PDP chief said Malik's family had hopes that the CM with a decisive mandate would put pressure on the Centre to release the jailed MLA.

"His father had not met Abdullah for legal help. He had hopes that Abdullah who has 50 MLAs, three MPs, will call a session and put pressure of Government of India that the people of Kashmir, their elected representatives, and their chief minister, will not tolerate this excess," she said.

Referring to the show-cause notice issued to PDP MLA from Pulwama Waheed Para, Mufti said rather than trying to shoot the messenger, the Speaker should have convened a special session of the assembly to discuss Malik's detention.

"If the Speaker wants to settle scores with the PDP, let him do that, but convene the assembly session. Hold a discussion, pass a resolution, so that such actions are not taken against our MLAs in the future," she added.

The Speaker has issued a show-cause notice to Para for his social media post claiming that the Assembly secretariat had endorsed the detention of the AAP MLA.

Urging CM Abdullah to visit Doda to assess the ground situation, Mufti said people there were facing problems.

She also appealed for the release of youth detained in the aftermath of protests in Doda.

To a question that AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was not allowed to hold a protest and address a press conference here on Thursday, the PDP chief said she regrets what Singh had to face, "but it would have given him an idea about the consequences of supporting abrogation of Article 370". PTI SSB AMJ AMJ