Mehraj detention BJP's conspiracy, Doda DM could have resolved matter, claims AAP

Following the detention of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit on Saturday alleged that the move was part of a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to imprison the legislator.

Speaking to The Tribune, AAP leader and J&K spokesperson Mudasir Hassan said the party will continue its protests until the PSA against Malik is revoked and he is released.

Commenting on the circumstances of the arrest, Hassan said the Doda District Magistrate—who booked Malik under PSA—could have resolved the matter through other means but chose to invoke the “draconian law that was once used against timber smugglers.”

“The issue began with the proposed shifting of a health centre. The District Magistrate didn’t listen to the public outcry, which forced Mehraj to raise the issue on social media. Even if the DM felt offended, there were legal alternatives. He could have written to the Speaker of the Assembly or to the AAP’s disciplinary committee. But instead, he invoked the PSA against an elected representative,” Hassan said.

The AAP leader argued that the public outpouring of support for Malik shows he is not a threat to public order. “The people are on the streets in support of Mehraj Malik. That itself is evidence that he poses no threat,” he added.

Hassan alleged that the BJP had a direct hand in Malik’s arrest. “The BJP has been targeting him ever since he became an MLA. They were clearly unhappy. And in just one day, how did the District Magistrate prepare a dossier of over 300 pages? It’s clear the BJP is behind this. They’re using the DM’s shoulder to target Malik. AAP is under attack from the BJP not only in J&K but across the country,” he said.

He further stated that AAP’s legal team is preparing to challenge the detention in court.

“Senior advocates from across Jammu and Kashmir have offered to support our legal fight. We will soon approach the court and are hopeful the PSA will be quashed, as the allegations against Malik are baseless,” Hassan said.

He also claimed that many of the allegations in the PSA dossier are inaccurate or exaggerated. “For instance, one of the so-called allegations is that Malik has a huge fan following on social media. That’s not a crime,” Hassan asserted.

Meanwhile, BJP’s J&K spokesman Altaf Thakur has denied his party’s role in the detention. “It is entirely between the administration and the AAP MLA, who has been booked under PSA,” he said.