Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday demanded the release of Doda MLA Mehraj Malik, who has been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), calling it an attempt to divert public attention from other issues.
According to KNS , Mehbooba said a large number of people had recently been detained in Kashmir, which had hurt public sentiments. “To divert attention from that, an MLA has been booked so that this larger issue and the sentiments of the majority community are not discussed,” she told the media.
She questioned the action against Malik, stating that the legislator may have used harsh words but applying PSA against a sitting MLA was unjustified. “Maybe he used a tongue twister or some abusive language, but imposing PSA on an MLA for that reason shows where the law stands in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Mehbooba linked Malik’s detention to Hazratbal, where, she said, religious sentiments were hurt.
“Instead of taking action against the Waqf Board and its chairperson, instead of apologizing, people have been detained and cases filed. The MLA has been made a scapegoat to deflect attention from Hazratbal and also from the floods in Doda, where cloudbursts and destruction have taken place,” she remarked.
The PDP chief appealed to the Lieutenant Governor to intervene in the matter. “Withdraw the FIRs related to Hazratbal, and release the MLA of Doda at the earliest. He may have spoken harshly, but the punishment for that is not PSA or jail,” she said.
Warning against suppressing public expression, Mehbooba drew comparisons with other countries. “When people’s freedom of expression is curbed, situations worsen. You have seen this in Sri Lanka, in Bangladesh, and now in Nepal. If you detain people and file cases against them for expressing emotions, the situation here will deteriorate further,” she said.(KNS)
