J&K Speaker slams PDP's Para over remarks that secretariat endorsed Mehraj Malik's detention

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Tuesday said PDP MLA Waheed Para will have to face the consequences under rules for making a false claim that the assembly secretariat had endorsed the detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under PSA.

Malik, who is also the president of J&K unit of AAP, was detained on Monday under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order and was subsequently lodged in Kathua district jail.

"Waheed Para Sahib in my opinion is ignorant about the rules and he has lied about the issue. He (Para) will have to face the consequences under rules as he has deliberately and intentionally misled the public. We cannot allow that to happen," Rather said.

The Speaker was responding to a social media post of Para in which the Pulwama MLA claimed that the assembly secretariat had endorsed the slapping of the PSA against AAP leader Malik.

"Shameful surrender. Assembly Secretariat endorsing PSA against an elected MLA is a direct assault on democracy. J&K CM @OmarAbdullah must act, don't allow the institution of MLA, the last agency of the people, to be silenced. Today it's Mehraj, tomorrow it could be you," Para said in a post on X on Monday.

Rather said the Speaker of the assembly has no role in such matters as he does not have the powers to approve or disapprove the arrest of any MLA. "Such arrests are made by the district magistrate. After any MLA is arrested, the district magistrate has to inform the assembly secretariat and it is the duty of the assembly secretariat under rule 60 to inform the rest of the members about the arrest," he said.

The Speaker said in the case of Doda MLA Malik, he was informed about his (Malik) arrest and he in turn informed the other assembly members.

In a statement issued on Monday night, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Secretariat denied endorsing the PSA against Malik. "It has been highlighted/reported in some media reports, social media platforms, X that the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat has endorsed the slapping of provisions of Public Safety Act 1978 on Mehraj Malik, MLA, which is factually incorrect and baseless as the secretariat has no role in it," the secretariat said in an official communique.

However, it said the secretariat was under an obligation in terms of Rule 260 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in J&K Assembly to inform all MLAs about the Malik's detention.