Doda MLA arrest case: Farooq Abdullah not allowed to meet Sanjay Singh in Srinagar

Srinagar, Sep 11 (IANS) Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the ruling National Conference (NC), Dr Farooq Abdullah, was not allowed on Thursday to meet the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Sanjay Singh, as the latter has been put under house arrest in Srinagar.

Reports said that the former chief minister arrived at the government guest house in Sonwar area of the city to meet Sanjay Singh after learning about his detention.

However, security personnel posted outside the guest house did not allow Dr Farooq Abdullah to enter the guest house.

Sanjay Singh has now posted on X, “It is very unfortunate that Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who has served several times as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, came to meet me at the government guest house after hearing the news of my house arrest by the police, but he was not allowed to meet me. If this is not dictatorship, then what is it”?

Reacting to this, opposition parties in Kashmir have called the move ‘authoritarian’.

Although Dr Farooq Abdullah has still not issued a statement on this incident, reports said that he had expressed displeasure over the decision not to allow him to meet the AAP leader.

Officials said restrictions had been imposed in the city to maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, normal life in Doda district was adversely affected on Thursday as the authorities ordered the closure of schools in the district till September 14 and the suspension of Internet services to maintain peace and tranquillity in the district.

Police and CRPF were deployed in strength in areas affected by protests in Doda district following the arrest of the MLA under the PSA. The Act empowers the authorities to detain a person without judicial intervention for a period of two years.

District Magistrate Doda had ordered the detention of Mehraj Malik under the PSA as the DM said his arrest was essential to maintain order in the district.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former CM Mehbooba Mufti, chief of People’s Conference (PC) Sajad Lone, and other political leaders except the BJP have condemned the detention of the MLA.

Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday, met the father of Mehraj Malik and said that issues concerning the MLA could be resolved in the Legislative Assembly and condemned the PSA detention of the MLA, under the PSA, holding that this would undermine democracy.

Dr Farooq Abdullah has said that the behaviour of the MLA with the District Magistrate is regrettable, but this does not justify his arrest under the PSA.

The District Magistrate Doda informed the Assembly Speaker about the MLA’s detention as per the laid-down procedure. A statement issued by the Speaker’s office said that the communication was received from the concerned DM as per the procedure, and it does not mean that the Speaker had approved the detention.

Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called on Mehraj Malik’s father, assuring him they would fight the legal battle for the MLA’s release.

--IANS

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