Doda: The father of detained AAP legislator Mehraj Malik was admitted to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu on Friday after he fainted following a press conference in which he appealed for his son’s release.
“I have full faith in Modi saheb and LG saheb,” he said before collapsing, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to revoke Malik’s detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Malik, the lone AAP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir, was detained on September 8 by order of the Doda district magistrate, who cited his conduct as “prejudicial to public order.”
The move came shortly after Malik’s public confrontation with Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh, where the MLA accused the officer of misuse of authority, including lapses in flood relief and issues over a dispensary’s unpaid rent.
The detention has sparked protests in Doda and sharp political reactions across JK. Malik’s father has been at the forefront, making emotional appeals.
“I gave my son to the people, now I want him back. His four daughters are crying at home — the youngest is just two-and-a-half years old. His mother and wife are also in tears. Who will take care of them?” he had said earlier. He demanded the suspension of the DC and called for independent investigations.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Malik’s father on Friday, assuring legal support.
“I met his father and assured him all the help. I would advise his party (AAP) to pick a lawyer from J&K who understands the PSA law well, and not bring a lawyer from outside J&K. I have spoken to a few lawyers. We are ready to extend all possible help,” Omar said.
Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, a former Supreme Court advocate from Thanamandi, has also announced that he will represent Malik free of cost. “I will fight Mehraj Malik’s case completely free of charge. I will not take a single penny,” he declared, calling the MLA innocent.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier questioned the detention, asking whether an elected representative should be jailed for seeking basic amenities for his constituency.
Civil society and opposition leaders have also criticised the use of PSA against a sitting legislator — a law typically invoked against militants and political activists.
