Internet Suspended, Exams Postponed After J&K Unrest Over AAP MLA's Arrest

Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed, and internet services have been suspended in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district following massive protests and clashes over the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party MLA, Mehraj Malik. All the board exams have been postponed across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of disturbances in the Doda region. 

The lone AAP legislator from Doda in Jammu and Kashmir has been booked under the stringent Public Safety Act days after he had a tiff with the District Magistrate Doda and allegedly used abusive and unparliamentary language against the District Magistrate over the non-payment of rent to a villager. 

On Monday, Harvinder Singh, District Magistrate, slapped the Public Safety Act on Mr Malik, stating that his activities are a "grave threat to public order". Under the Public Safety Act (PSA), a person can be jailed for up to two years without a trial or prosecution. In many cases related to separatists, the preventive detention law in J&K has been used again and again to keep a person in jail indefinitely. It's also known as revolving door detention because once a person is released by the court, he's again detained under the PSA. 

While Doda is on boil and protesters are demanding the release of MLA, Mr Malik's family reached Srinagar and met with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. In a show of solidarity, Mr Abdullah released a photo with the father of the detained MLA and other family members and termed the arrest as "unjustified" and "blatant misuse of power".

The father and other family members of Mr. Mehraj Malik, Hon'ble MLA Doda, met the Chief Minister today.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the use of PSA against the Hon'ble MLA is completely unjustified and a blatant misuse of the powers of preventive detention. pic.twitter.com/OHmHpWfAox

— Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) September 9, 2025

"The Chief Minister reiterated that the use of PSA against the Hon'ble MLA is completely unjustified and a blatant misuse of the powers of preventive detention (sic)," Mr Abdullah noted in a post on X (formerly Twitter). 

Earlier, Mr Abdullah asked what sin the MLA had committed that PSA was slapped against him. The Chief Minister said the arrest of the MLA will further erode the faith of people in democracy. The elected government in Jammu and Kashmir has no authority over police and law and order, and it's the centre and the Lieutenant Governor who have absolute authority over key administrative matters. 

Mr Abdullah said if MLA had said something wrong, "it could have been corrected in the assembly under the guidance of the speaker". 

The massive protests in the Doda region have taken the administration by surprise. Police had to use tear smoke shells and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Several people, including a police officer, have been injured during clashes, official sources said.

Control orders were issued yesterday as protests spread to different areas.