Jammu Tawi, Sep 10: An uneasy calm has settled over Doda district following violent protests triggered by the detention of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Clashes on Tuesday, which spread to Bhaderwah, left several protestors and police personnel injured, including two officers.
Heavy security deployment was observed early Wednesday around Doda town. The administration installed concertina wires to restrict movement near government offices, while police vans urged residents to stay indoors under prohibitory orders. Internet services remained suspended, which protestors claimed was intended to silence public dissent.
Tensions escalated further after a two-year-old girl died of pneumonia when her family’s vehicle was delayed in a traffic jam caused by the protests. Her father alleged that security personnel blocked their passage despite repeated pleas. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
Political leaders have sharply criticized the administration. National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah held Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha responsible for the deteriorating situation, stating the security system is under his control. AAP MP Sanjay Singh, joined by senior party leader Imran Hussain in Jammu, condemned Malik’s detention as “illegal” and “unconstitutional,” asserting that the PSA—typically used against terrorists—was misapplied against an elected representative. Singh accused the BJP-led Centre of systematically targeting AAP leaders.
J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra described the detention as a “direct attack on democracy,” framing the current situation as a tussle between bureaucracy and elected representatives. PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti suggested that Malik was being scapegoated to divert attention from a recent controversy involving the Hazratbal shrine emblem. She called on the LG to cancel the FIR linked to the incident and release the MLA.
Following Malik’s arrest and transfer to Kathua jail, Doda town and surrounding areas, including Bhaderwah, Gandoh, and Thathri, remain heavily secured. Schools and businesses are closed, and residents are ordered to stay indoors. Despite heightened security, police report no untoward incidents so far.
Several parties, including the National Conference, PDP, and People’s Conference, have criticized the PSA detention as an “assault on democracy.” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier remarked that Malik posed no threat and described the detention as “wrong.”
