National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday attempted to meet Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh at the Government Circuit House in Srinagar but was stopped by police personnals . Unfazed, Singh climbed over the gate to speak with Abdullah, and the two leaders jointly criticized the police action, terming it politically motivated and directed by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. 

The development comes amid tensions over the detention of Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Farooq Abdullah urged the government to reconsider the move, saying the invocation of the PSA against an elected representative was unwarranted. “Doda is already grappling with floods, and now this episode has further engulfed the district,” he said.

While acknowledging that Malik’s behavior towards the Deputy Commissioner of Doda was inappropriate, Farooq Abdullah stressed that it should not have resulted in such severe consequences. “It is unfortunate that the MLA’s behavior with the DC was not up to the mark. The situation would not have reached this point had he apologized at the right time,” he remarked.

However, Farooq Abdullah reiterated that slapping the PSA on Malik was equally unjustified. “This should be revoked. The MLA should also be apologetic for his language,” Abdullah said, calling for accountability on both sides.

Echoing Farooq Abdullah’s remarks, AAP MP Sanjay Singh lashed out at the government’s approach, stating, “The police action is a clear attempt to silence dissent and intimidate elected representatives.”

Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Reacts

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the arrest of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, stating that the use of the Public Safety Act (PSA) against an elected representative was inappropriate and would send the wrong message to the public.

“It is a reality that Sanjay Singh was locked. Repeatedly, such things are being done. It is said that everything is fine in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and a new J&K is emerging, but the reality is that they always adopt a stringent stance against us. It is a fact that they have dealt in a stringent manner by arresting Mehraj Malik (AAP MLA). There was no reason to arrest him. Invoking PSA against an MLA is wrong. They have taken forward this mistake by illegally holding back a Rajya Sabha MP today. Under which order was this done? This is not good for democracy in J&K. This will send a wrong message to the public. Those who are doing all this must correct themselves,” he said.

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