People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday alleged that Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik was detained to divert attention from the vandalism at the Hazratbal shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, PTI reported.
Malik, the lone AAP legislator from Doda, was detained on Monday under the Public Safety Act for one year on charges of disturbing public order. He was sent to the Kathua district jail.
He is the first sitting legislator in the Union Territory to be held under the preventive detention law that allows persons to be taken into custody to prevent them from acting against “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order”.
On Wednesday, Mufti told reporters that instead of apologising as religious sentiments were hurt after the Hazratbal controversy, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had “registered a case against people who expressed their anger against the desecration”, PTI reported.
An inauguration plaque bearing the Ashoka emblem inside the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar was damaged on September 5.
The Islamic shrine houses a holy relic of the Prophet Muhammad. The structure had recently undergone a renovation and was inaugurated by Darakshan Andrabi, chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board and a Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
A plaque featuring the national emblem was also installed at the site, which sparked criticism. Protesters had allegedly damaged the inauguration plaque with stones and chanted slogans, saying that the emblem went against Islamic principles.
At least 25 persons were detained for questioning in connection with the vandalism at the Hazratbal shrine.
Mufti said on Wednesday that Malik might have used harsh words or abusive language, but booking an elected representative under the Public Safety Act appeared to be a diversionary tactic, PTI reported.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister added that Doda was reeling from heavy rains and floods, and the administration chose to book the MLA instead of providing relief to the people.
“This speaks volumes about the enforcement of law in Jammu and Kashmir," PTI quoted her as saying.
Mufti urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to revoke the first information report related to Hazratbal and release Malik.
She added that the situation will only become worse if the freedom of expression of citizens is suppressed.
“Look at the situation in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or even Nepal now…see the situation in Doda,” the news agency quoted Mufti as saying.
Prohibitory orders in Doda
Mufti’s statement came against the backdrop of prohibitory orders being in place in Doda district for the second day on Wednesday. The orders were imposed a day earlier after clashes between protesters and security forces over Malik’s detention.
At least eight police personnel, including two officers, were injured in the clashes, reported PTI.
Malik’s detention has drawn criticism from several political leaders, with protests also reported in Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch and Kishtwar districts.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, who arrived in Jammu along with senior leader Imran Hussain, described Malik’s detention as “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.
“The section used against terrorists has been slapped on an elected member for raising voice for the people of his constituency,” PTI quoted Singh as saying. “We will fight this injustice on the streets, in Parliament, and, if necessary, in the Supreme Court.”
Also read: Explained: The furore at Kashmir’s Hazratbal shrine reflects a deeper anxiety
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