JAMMU/SRINAGAR: J&K continues to be on the edge over the detention of AAP legislator from Doda, Mehraj Malik, under the Public Safety Act (PSA). While a low-intensity blast on Thursday morning triggered panic in Jammu’s Doda town, which already remains tense, high drama unfolded in Srinagar when police locked the circuit house gates to prevent AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh from holding a protest against Malik’s detention, and refused to allow NC president Farooq Abdullah to meet him.Singh, who reached Srinagar on Wednesday evening with other AAP functionaries, was scheduled to hold a press conference and a protest at Lal Chowk. However, police locked the gates of the circuit house and barred him and others from stepping out.NC president Farooq Abdullah, who arrived to offer support to Singh, was stopped at the main gate. The AAP MP climbed on a plastic chair and tried to converse with him. Alleging that he had been placed under “house arrest”, Singh said the govt guesthouse had been turned into a “police camp” and the authorities refused to disclose the grounds for confining him inside.Both the leaders argued with security personnel for not allowing them to meet, and lashed out at LG Manoj Sinha, accusing him of abusing his authority. An upset Farooq said “an elected govt is in power in J&K, but the LG has become a king”.The NC leader finally left, bidding Singh “khuda hafiz” from outside the gate. The AAP MP later shared video clips on X and said: “If this is not dictatorship, then what is it?”CM Omar Abdullah, too, termed it “illegal detention” and slammed the “highhandedness” of the LG administration. “They claim everything is fine in J&K; that the atmosphere is good, people are happy, and ‘naya Kashmir’ is emerging. The reality is they do nothing except use force,” he said while talking to reporters. “They have used force against us, invoked wrong laws to arrest Mehraj Malik… And now they have illegally detained a Rajya Sabha member. Under which law? Did they serve any notice to him? This is not good for the democracy of J&K and it sends the wrong message,” Omar added.Earlier, panic gripped locals following the explosion in a house in Dumri-Thukar Mohalla of Doda town, although no injuries were reported, officials said. Two individuals were detained for questioning.Doda remained calm but tense on Thursday and prohibitory orders remained in force for the third consecutive day across the district following protests over the slapping of PSA against Malik.The Doda MLA’s father, Shamas Udin Malik, made a fervent appeal for release of his son and apologised on his behalf for using “unparliamentary” language against deputy commissioner Harvinder Singh, even as he accused the DC of “personal vendetta”. . “I apologise for the words he has used… I have full faith that LG sahib and Modi sahib will definitely do justice with us. We humbly urge the Prime Minister and the LG to release him and reunite our family,” he said.(With inputs from PTI)
