Protests in J&K Over AAP Legislator's Arrest, Cops Resort To Lathicharge

Massive protests erupted in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district against the arrest of the lone Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), with authorities imposing restrictions and clamping down internet services.

As protesters took to the streets, stone-pelting and clashes with the police were reported. The police retaliated with a lathi charge and tear gas shelling to disperse crowds in different parts of Chenab Valley.

On Monday, Mr Malik was arrested after being charged under the Public Safety Act, under which a person can be jailed up to two years without a trial or prosecution. He was immediately shifted and lodged in the district jail in Kathua, around 300 kilometres from Doda.

Mr Malik's arrest came after a video was widely circulated on social media in which the AAP MLA allegedly used abusive and unparliamentary language against Deputy Commissioner of Doda Harvinder Singh. In the video, the 37-year-old AAP MLA, who appeared to be agitated about the non-payment of rent to a villager by the health department, was seen using objectionable language against the IAS officer.

Mr Singh cited "activities of MLA as a grave threat to peace and public order" as grounds for the detention under PSA. He said the action was "necessary in the interest of maintaining public order in the region".

Except for the BJP, all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have condemned Mr Malik's arrest.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the MLA's arrest is the latest incident that erodes people's faith in democracy. "There is no justification for detaining Mehraj Malik under PSA. He's not a threat to "public safety" & using this discredited law to detain him is wrong. If the unelected government can use its powers against an elected representative like this then how does anyone expect the people of J&K to continue to have faith in democracy," Mr Abdullah said in a post on X.

The Congress, People's Democratic Party and CPI (M) have condemned the action against Mr Malik, calling it an attempt to crush dissent and an assault on democracy.

The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit welcomed the MLA's arrest. "Some fragile elements have entered politics and are indulging in using abusive and unparliamentary language against the general public and public functionaries. These elements not only cause damage to the social fabric of the nation but also to public sentiments," party spokesperson Parimoksh Seth said.

As the news of Mr Mailk's arrest spread, hundreds of people took to the streets in Doda, shouting slogans against the administration. Amid clashes between protesters and police, cops made announcements of the imposition of prohibitory orders under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Section 163, which allows a magistrate to issue prohibitory orders in cases of urgent nuisance or danger.