JAMMU: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday joined a protest in Jammu against the detention of the party’s Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using authoritarian tactics to “suppress and crush” the AAP wherever it shows signs of growth.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Singh strongly condemned the detention of Malik, calling it “illegal and unconstitutional.” He said that in the entire history of Jammu and Kashmir, never before had an elected MLA been booked under the PSA — a law that permits detention without trial for up to two years in certain cases.
“Because Mehraj Malik was demanding a hospital for the people, the PSA was imposed on him. You are imposing PSA on an elected representative who is holding peaceful protests — laws that are normally imposed on terrorists,” Singh remarked.
The AAP leader alleged that Malik’s detention was politically motivated and part of the BJP’s broader strategy against the party. “The BJP and the prime minister do only one thing — wherever the AAP progresses and its footprints increase, they try to suppress it. They file false cases and jail our leaders. Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, myself, and now Mehraj Malik — all have been targeted with the same purpose of silencing our voice,” he said.
Flanked by senior AAP functionary Imran Hussain, Singh also criticised the administration’s dossier justifying Malik’s detention. “They are saying he goes live on Facebook, has two lakh followers, makes spontaneous statements, and influences people. Since when has speaking to the public or demanding better healthcare facilities become a threat to public safety? This is nothing but a bundle of baseless allegations,” Singh said.
The Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the BJP was responsible for unrest in Doda and accused the administration of creating problems deliberately. “Law and order is under the BJP’s control, and they are deliberately manufacturing these crises. The BJP is behind every conspiracy against AAP, and that is visible even here,” he said.
Singh further sharpened his attack by accusing the ruling party of shielding corruption. “All thieves and mafia figures are in the BJP. When the BJP talks about corruption and criminalisation, I feel Osama Bin Laden is speaking about non-violence,” he said.
Declaring that AAP would continue its struggle, Singh said the party would fight Malik’s detention “from the streets to Parliament and the courts.” He added, “This is completely unconstitutional and illegal. Our national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced that we will not remain silent until justice is delivered.”
The AAP leader also recalled that former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had earlier spoken against such “draconian laws.” He urged the present government to “stand up and deliver on those promises.”
On allegations that Malik had used abusive language against officials, Singh countered that officials themselves often abuse ordinary citizens. “Visit police stations and government offices, and you will see it. Expressing opinions does not make us terrorists,” he said.
The AAP MP also touched upon broader political issues, alleging step-motherly treatment by the Centre in flood relief distribution. He pointed out that Punjab had received a ₹1,600 crore package, while Jammu and Kashmir was ignored. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming 75th birthday, Singh quipped, “The prime minister will resign on that day.”
Singh concluded by asserting that AAP’s movement in support of Malik had only begun. “We will continue this fight together with the people of Doda and Jammu and Kashmir. The imposition of PSA on an elected MLA is not just an attack on AAP, but on democracy itself,” he said.
