Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, on Tuesday clarified that the government had neither sought his approval nor consulted the Assembly Secretariat before detaining Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
Speaking to KNS, Rather said that his role is restricted to being informed of such actions, as per Assembly procedures.
“The rules governing the House clearly state that the Speaker’s responsibility is only to communicate such developments to members. In this case, I was informed about Mehraj’s detention and relayed the information to the legislators. There was no consultation, nor was my approval required for the order issued by the District Commissioner,” Rather said.
The Speaker emphasized that the legality of the arrest and the detention rests with the courts. “It is for the judiciary to determine whether any procedural lapse or wrongdoing has occurred.
The Assembly’s role does not extend beyond being apprised of the situation,” he added.
The arrest of Malik, a sitting MLA from Doda district, has stirred political debates across the region. Several political parties have condemned the move, terming it an affront to democratic norms and warning that such actions set a troubling precedent that could undermine the rights and representation of elected officials.
Malik’s detention under the PSA, an act allowing preventive detention without trial for up to two years has drawn attention due to its rarity in being applied against a sitting legislator.
Rather sought to distance the Assembly Secretariat from the controversy, stating that “the House Secretariat’s role is limited to information-sharing. Any allegations or concerns must be addressed through proper judicial channels.”(KNS)
