DDC Pooja Thakur Condemns Invocation of PSA Against Elected MLA Mehraj Malik

DDC Pooja Thakur Condemns Invocation of PSA Against Elected MLA Mehraj Malik

Doda, September 8:

District Development Council (DDC) member Kishtwar Pooja Thakur has strongly condemned the decision of the District Commissioner, Doda, to invoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) against elected MLA Shri Mehraj Malik, terming it an “undemocratic and unconstitutional act.”

In a statement, Thakur said that preventive detention cannot be used as a substitute for due process of law, nor as a tool to silence the voice of people’s representatives. “This action is not just against Shri Mehraj Malik—it is an assault on every elected member and sends a chilling message to all who dare to speak for the poor and marginalized,” she remarked.

She added that such executive overreach undermines the sanctity of the Legislative Assembly and the mandate given by the people. “The casual misuse of the PSA by district authorities erodes public faith in democratic institutions and violates the very ethics and purpose of our Legislature. If a DC can unilaterally curb the liberty of an MLA for raising public issues, then the foundations of our democratic order stand gravely threatened,” Thakur warned.

The DDC member urged the administration to immediately revoke the PSA and restore public confidence by upholding democratic values and constitutional safeguards.