SRINAGAR: MLA Budhal, Javed Iqbal Choudhary, appealed to the Lieutenant Governor to order the release of Doda MLA Mehraj-ud-Din Malik, warning that his continued detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) could deepen public alienation and threaten political stability in Jammu and Kashmir.
Choudhary cautioned that the situation in the Union Territory was volatile and could spiral out of control without timely intervention. He said growing pressure on legislators from their constituents risked triggering street protests and mass movements, drawing parallels with unrest in Manipur and Nepal.
“The detention of a sitting MLA under PSA has no precedent in Jammu and Kashmir’s history and has created widespread resentment,” Choudhary said. “There may be fewer people on the streets, but the number of those who feel alienated is much larger and spread across the region.”
Acknowledging that Malik had often resorted to “unparliamentary and uncivil” behaviour, Choudhary argued that such issues should be dealt with through democratic mechanisms like the Legislative Assembly’s Ethics Committee, rather than preventive detention. He stressed that in the public perception, Malik’s arrest was linked to his confrontation with the Deputy Commissioner, raising suspicions of misuse of authority.
Choudhary further warned that while anger appeared contained for now, the alienation it fuelled would carry long-term implications for national security.
He urged the Lieutenant Governor to release Malik and allow him to face charges, if any, through due process of law, calling it a necessary confidence-building measure to restore public trust in democratic institutions.
