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Srinagar, October 23 (IANS) National Conference (NC) MLAs staged a silent protest outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday demanding the release of arrested Doda MLA Mehraj Malik.
Before entering the Assembly to attend the autumn session, NC MLAs staged a silent protest demanding the release of the AAP MLA. Malik was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for creating threat to peace and law and order in Doda district.
The protesting MLAs were holding placards in their hands which read, ‘Free Mehraj Malik’, ‘Restore the representation of Doda’. Before addressing the media, he kept silence for several minutes in protest.
NC chief spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq said Malik’s continued detention was unfair and deprived the people of Doda of their rightful voice in the Assembly. “We demand the unconditional release of Mehraj Malik. He has been elected by the people of Doda and deserves representation in the House. His detention under the PSA is undemocratic and against the spirit of the public mandate,” the spokesperson said.
The NC leader said the party repeatedly raised the issue with the government but received no satisfactory response.
“If an elected representative is kept away from the House, it sends a wrong message about democracy in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
In its latest directive, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court directed authorities to ensure that Mehraj Malik is allowed to vote for the Rajya Sabha elections being held on Friday. Officials later said the MLA would be provided postal ballot to cast his vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Voting is being held for four Rajya Sabha seats here on Friday. All elected MLAs are eligible to cast their vote in this election. NC has fielded four candidates for these seats, while BJP has fielded three, including the party’s Jammu and Kashmir president Sat Sharma.
–IANS
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