Farooq prevented from meeting AAP leader
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: Police today foiled a protest march by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Srinagar against booking of Mehraj Malik, the MLA from Doda under Public Safety Act (PSA) and placed AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh under house arrest.
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Several AAP workers were detained, and restrictions were imposed in the city centre to thwart the party’s planned protest.
Singh was scheduled to hold a protest against the recent arrest and detention of his party colleague and Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the PSA.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was also stopped by police from meeting Singh at the Srinagar Circuit House. Authorities had locked the gates of the Circuit House as Singh prepared to protest against Malik’s arrest and the PSA. Abdullah was barred from entering the premises.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah criticized the administration, saying Singh posed no threat. “A man wants to talk within the Constitution, but he is not allowed to… He has been my friend in Parliament, and you are not permitting even the exchange of courtesies. This is not your fault but LG’s,” he said.
Singh, meanwhile, climbed the gate and questioned police over Abdullah’s denial of entry. “He is a former MP and has been the CM several times, and I am also an MP… What is the problem? What is the crime? Why are you not allowing us to meet?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the house arrest of Singh and the slapping of the PSA on Malik, calling both actions “illegal, undemocratic, and harmful to democracy.”
Talking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said Singh’s detention was “not a claim but reality.” He pointed out that similar incidents had occurred earlier. “On July 13, we did not claim that we were detained. We were kept under detention. On July 14, we did not claim that we were manhandled; this is the truth. Even today, Sanjay Singh has been locked up in a guest house. Why? Only those behind this decision can tell. This kind of action is happening again and again,” he said.
Omar accused the Government of projecting a false narrative of normalcy in the Valley. “They say everything is fine in Jammu and Kashmir, the environment is good, people are happy, and a new Jammu and Kashmir is emerging. But the reality is that they do nothing other than impose restrictions. They have been strict with us,” he said.
Questioning the legality of Singh’s detention, the Chief Minister asked, “You have kept a Rajya Sabha member illegally locked up. Under which law? Have you served any order against him? Is there any order for preventive detention? If you want, you just close the gate of the guest house. This is not right for democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. This message will go to the people. The people who are doing this should think about their actions.”
The Chief Minister also denounced the PSA imposed on Malik, saying the law was being misused. “There is no reason to arrest him under PSA. If someone has a complaint about his behavior, raise it with the Assembly Secretariat or talk to the Speaker. Using PSA against an MLA is wrong, and it has made the mistake even worse,” he said.
He said he had met Malik’s father and assured him of full support in the legal battle. “PSA is not applicable anywhere else in the country. If you bring a lawyer from outside, it will take time for him to understand this law. We are ready to help. I have spoken to some lawyers here who are ready to fight the case. It is better that they appoint a lawyer who knows PSA well. I had to fight against PSA myself in 2020 when it was filed against me. I appointed a lawyer from here and fought that battle in the Supreme Court. My advice to the AAP would be-do not bring a big lawyer from outside; take a lawyer from here who knows the law of PSA. And if they need help, I have told Malik’s father we are ready to provide it,” he said.
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