IIOJK: Mehbooba Mufti demands release of Hazratbal protesters, MLA Mehraj Malik
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has called upon the administration, led by New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, to release those detained in connection with the Hazratbal shrine incident, along with sitting Doda MLA Mehraj Malik, who also remains in custody.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian police arrested dozens of people after protests erupted last Friday against the installation of the Ashoka emblem inside the revered Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. The move was widely denounced by Kashmiris as blasphemous and contrary to Islamic teachings that strictly forbid idol worship. Most detainees have been booked under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA). On Monday, authorities also detained Mehraj Malik, the lone Aam Aadmi Party MLA in IIOJK, under the PSA on the pretext of maintaining “public order”, accusing him of “spreading misinformation” and “glorifying freedom fighters”.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mehbooba said the use of the PSA against an elected representative was both unjustified and undemocratic. “PSA is not warranted for a people’s representative… Such arrests erode democracy and restrict people from expressing themselves,” she asserted.
She further maintained that Malik’s arrest was aimed at diverting public attention from the Hazratbal shrine incident. “The sitting MLA has been detained simply to shift focus. This approach is not democratic,” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti warned that stifling people’s voices in occupied Jammu and Kashmir could have dangerous consequences. “We should draw lessons from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where restrictions on people’s voices led to serious consequences”, she cautioned.
