Malik, who is a member of the J&K Assembly, was arrested on Monday, September 8, under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing the public order in the Doda district, as per news agency PTI.
#WATCH | Jammu | Aam Aadmi Party workers hold protest against the detention of J&K AAP President & MLA Mehraj Malik under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA) on grounds of his activities being “prejudicial to the maintenance of public order”. pic.twitter.com/4yafXxNacC
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2025
This marked the first instance when a sitting MLA was held under the PSA, which allows detention of the individual for up to two years without any charge or trial.
The decision was condemned by various political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
CM Abdullah said Malik was “not a threat to public safety” and using a “discredited law to detain him is wrong.”
Speaking to reporters on September 9, he said, “I am not able to understand what he did to get detained under such a strict law, PSA. Was there any incident of stone-pelting?”
“On the contrary, those who played with our religious sentiments spoiled the atmosphere at the Hazratbal Shrine; innocents are being harassed… But no action is being taken against those who hurt our religious sentiments,” Abdullah added.
#WATCH | Srinagar | On the detention of J&K AAP President & MLA Mehraj Malik under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA), J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah says, “…I am not able to understand what he did to get detained under such a strict law,… pic.twitter.com/XI4irywvDh
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2025
AAP leader Surinder Singh Shingari told ANI, “Invoking PSA against an MLA is not right. It should be removed and he should be released… No organisation can hold this action right.”
General Secretary of All India Congress Committee, Ghulam Ahmad Mir termed Mehraj’s arrest as “unreasonable”.
“It has been repeatedly said the PSA, used by all governments, has always been misused 99%, considering political and vested interests illegally,” he told ANI.
“Miraj Malik Doda MLA used his tongue excessively, which no civilised person endorses. There is a right given by the Constitution, but that doesn’t mean disrespect for others is acceptable. However, it’s unreasonable to label him a danger solely based on dialogue and to book an elected representative under PSA… Any civil or civilised society will also not endorse this,” Mir added.
Poonch DGPC General Secretary Harcharan Singh on September 8 had said, “I am thankful to the LG administration and Omar Abdullah government for the arrest of the Doda MLA… He used to promote drugs and abused an IAS officer.”
#WATCH | J&K | On arrest of AAP Leader Mehraj Malik, Poonch DGPC General Secretary Harcharan Singh says, “I am thankful to the LG administration and Omar Abdullah government for the arrest of the Doda MLA… He used to promote drugs and abused an IAS officer…” (08.09) pic.twitter.com/MOHuXhySkN
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2025
J&K Secretariat denies endorsing the arrest
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Monday, September 8, denied endorsing the PSA against Malik.
“It has been highlighted/reported in some media reports, social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) 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, reported PTI.
